Heart of the Dragon
by Mystical Jade
Summary: This is my first GW fic, so be gentle. ^_^ After the war, Wufei does some soul-searching ... And with interesting results. Read and Review, please. *updated 5/31* [Status: Complete]
1. Heart of the Dragon, 01

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

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Heart of the Dragon

Part 1

In the vastness of space, drifting among the wreckage of the battleship Libra, a lone mobile suit floated seemingly lifelessly. To be more exact, the mobile suit was a powerful machine known as a Gundam; its' pilot, a Chinese teenager named Chang Wufei. Although the war between the Earth and the colonies had only ended weeks ago, to the young warrior, it seemed like days. The adrenaline rush of battle still coursed through his veins, and yet, he felt restless. The pilot slowly opened his eyes, and rested his hands on the console of his beloved Gundam.

"Are you showing me the right path, Nataku," he asked. "Are you showing me my true destiny?" The quietness of space flooded his ears unbearably, and he closed his eyes once again, allowing his mind to drift ...

~ **three days earlier** ~

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"Wufei, I'd really like it if you stayed here," Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft stated. "Now that the war is over, you'll need somewhere to stay."

"No thanks," Wufei replied, barely able to keep the scowl off of his face.

"You finally obtained the peace you have been working towards," she continued. "Won't you even consider it?"

"You should listen to Ms. Relena, Wufei," Quatre stated. "We could all use a place to call home temporarily." At this, Wufei frowned.

"Look, I said I wasn't interested," Wufei grumbled, losing his patience.

"Or, if you would feel more comfortable, I have a mansion right outside of the Sanq Kingdom," Quatre offered, smiling weakly.

"Yeah, Wu-man," Duo exclaimed, putting Wufei into a headlock. "We could all use a vacation!"

"Get off of me, Maxwell," Wufei stated icily, shoving Duo away from him. "I don't need anyone's hospitality, especially not from a weak ..."

"Ah, you don't have to be so stubborn, Wu-man," Duo interrupted. "Even Heero is relaxing. Now that's something!"

"Dammit, Maxwell," Wufei growled, grabbing Duo by his shirt. "I told you not to call me that!"

"Well, excuuuse me," Duo drawled, waving his hands in front of him as Wufei released his hold on him.

"Where will you go then, Wufei," Relena asked. As Wufei began muttering in his native language, Heero cleared his throat.

"Just let him go," Heero spoke quietly, his voice full of authority.

"But Heero," Relena protested. "It's the least I can do!"

"Because of your peaceful views, Relena, there's one thing you'll never understand about soldiers," Heero said. "Let him go on his way." He crossed his arms, and looked up towards Wufei, who nodded his thanks towards the perfect soldier.

"Wherever Nataku takes me will be my destination," Wufei stated, feeling as if he had to say something to justify his actions. He scowled inwardly, and then turned towards his Gundam.

"Wufei," Relena said as he began to climb into the machine. He turned towards her slightly. "Wufei, whenever you come back to Earth, you'll always be welcomed here, in the Sanq Kingdom." He snorted at her statement.

"Your emotions are what make you weaker than you already are, woman," Wufei commented. He threw one last look towards his fellow Gundam pilots, and then climbed up into the Shenlong. With a sigh, Relena watched as Wufei blasted off.

"Well in any case, Wufei, the offer still stands," she said quietly, a small smile appearing on her face. Quatre placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ms. Relena," Quatre stated. "Though he doesn't show it, I'm sure Wufei appreciates your offer."

"That's right, Relena," Duo added. "I have a feeling 'ol Wu-man will be back!" Inside of his Gundam, Wufei sneezed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Wufei opened his eyes once again as a beep sounded repeatedly from the console of his Gundam. He punched in a series of commands, and then the view-screen popped up in front of him. The view that met his gaze caused him to gasp.

"L5," he asked. "Nataku, is this my destination? Why have you led me here?" Taking the machine off of autopilot, Wufei turned his Gundam towards the colony, and began his descent. Instinctively, Wufei directed his Gundam towards the secluded place the Shenlong had been built. Landing near the abandoned base, Wufei climbed out of his Gundam, falling to the ground with practiced expertise. Staring up at the building, he sighed and a small smile appeared on his face.

_"Wufei, whenever you come back to Earth, you'll always be welcomed here, in the Sanq Kingdom,"_ Relena's voice repeated in his head, causing his smile to disappear.

"No," Wufei stated out loud. "I can't go back to Earth, until I find out why Nataku has brought me here." He walked up to the door, and tested the doorknob, only to be surprised that it clicked open. His hand went to his katana instinctively as he cautiously crept into the building. He kept to the shadows, and was taken by surprise as a voice spoke to him.

"I knew you would return here one day, after the war ended, Chang Wufei," a man's voice stated. Wufei scanned the area, however he couldn't find the owner of the voice.

"You're very skilled, to sense my presence in this room," Wufei called back.

"Naturally, Wufei. Wasn't it I, who taught and trained you," the man asked. A tall, bald man stepped out from the shadows, causing Wufei to gasp.

"M-master O," he asked in a disbelieving tone. He bowed out of respect towards his sensei. "How are you alive, Master?" A small smirk appeared on the scientist's face as he put a hand in his lab coat pocket.

"Come, Wufei, have tea with me," Doctor O spoke, motioning towards a table. As he got comfortable, he turned his head toward another room. "Bring an extra cup. We have a visitor," he called out in that direction. The two men heard a muffled reply, and Wufei frowned slightly before turning towards the scientist.

"Master O," he began.

"Wufei," Doctor O interrupted quietly. "What brings you here? Why have you returned?"

"I don't know, Master," Wufei replied. "Ever since the end of the war, I've been restless. My fighting spirit hasn't allowed me to rest, and enjoy the peace. And ... I don't understand why."

"And what of the others," Doctor O stated.

"What," Wufei asked.

"What of the other Gundam pilots," Doctor O repeated. "How have they adjusted to life after the war?"

"They've settled in the Sanq Kingdom, with Vice-Minister Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft," Wufei replied.

"And she didn't offer you the same hospitality," Doctor O questioned.

"No, it was the opposite," Wufei muttered. "She wanted us all to stay there, to enjoy the peace we've helped acquire." Wufei looked up, and Doctor O gave him a questioning look. "I don't know why I didn't just stay," Wufei answered his unasked question.

"Wufei, how do you feel towards the other pilots," Doctor O inquired.

"Feel," Wufei asked. "I don't _feel_ anything towards them. We were all just lucky to make it out of this war alive. I only go by what I know about them - that they're all skilled warriors." Doctor O studied Wufei, however remained silent. Wufei stood from his place, and walked over to gaze out the window.

_"Then perhaps that is why you are here,"_ Doctor O thought inwardly. He looked up as he heard the sound of a tray being carried, and a small smile crossed his face. A teenage Chinese girl entered the room, carrying a tea tray. She had on traditional Chinese garb, and her silky, black hair was pulled back into a braid that went slightly past her shoulder blades. She knelt down at the table with Doctor O, and offered a smile towards him.

"Where is our guest, Master O," she asked while serving him tea.

"By the window," he replied. "Now don't be rude, and offer him some tea." She nodded her head, and then stood, turning towards Wufei.

"May I offer you some tea, sir," she asked. She frowned slightly as he did not turn around to face her.

_"Now that's what I like to hear,"_ Wufei thought inwardly. _"A woman who knows her place."_ He turned around towards her, and the words he was going to say caught in his throat. Her eyes grew big in response.

"Wufei," she asked, not wanting to say his name too loudly in fear he would disappear.

"Meilin," he stated, shocked to see her. His throat began to constrict against his will, and he stepped closer to her. He stood in front of her, and she brought a hand up, smacking him soundly across the face. His own hand followed suite, gingerly touching his stinging face. "What was that for," he asked angrily.

"Why didn't you stay in touch," Meilin asked, equally as angry. "Do you know how worried I was! So many thoughts went through my head. I didn't know _what_ to think!" She looked up at Wufei, who was slightly taller than she was, as tears began to form in her eyes, and he rolled his eyes.

"Don't be weak, Meilin. Don't cry," he stated, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "I missed you, too." She returned his hug, and Doctor O watched with an amused smile.

~ **one week later** ~

"I've never been so bored in my life," Duo grumbled as he plopped down on the couch, and picked up the remote control. He turned the television on, and began to flip through the channels. After a couple of minutes, he turned the TV off again. "And there's nothing on TV, to boot!"

"Duo," Quatre stated, looking up from the game of chess he was playing. "There's plenty to do. You just need to find something." He moved his piece, and then looked up towards Trowa. "Check."

"Ah, c'mon, Quatre," Duo whined. "You know I can't sit still! I need to _do_ something. Heero threatened to kill me again, and I think this time, he means it! I wish Wufei was here, because even his company is better than watching the two of you play that game."

"All it takes is a little bit of strategy and brainpower, Duo," Trowa stated, moving his piece out of harms' way.

"No thanks," Duo stated. "I don't want to play such a boring game." He wrinkled his nose, and then it dawned on him what, exactly, the meaning of Trowa's statement was. "Oh that was _funny_, Trowa," he stated dryly, causing Trowa to smirk.

"I can teach you to play, if you want, Duo," Quatre offered, studying the board. As Duo was about to reply, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Duo exclaimed, jumping towards the phone. _"Phew, saved by the bell,"_ he thought as he picked up the receiver. "Hello, Duo speaking," he stated cheerfully into the phone.

"Why did _you_ have to pick up, Maxwell," Wufei's annoyed voice came through the receiver.

"Wu-man, is that you," Duo asked, switching on the video. He smiled as he saw the frowning face of Wufei. "It is you! How are ya, buddy?"

"Maxwell, don't call me that," Wufei exclaimed. "Can't you put someone else on?" Duo pretended to look around.

"Sorry, Wu-man, but no one else is here," Duo stated. He held up a hand to silence Quatre, as he looked up from his game to protest Duo's statement.

"Great," Wufei mumbled. He looked into the video, and stared at Duo. "Well, I might as well tell you, then. I'll be back on Earth by the end of the week."

"That's great news, you have no idea," Duo exclaimed. He saw Wufei look to the side, and heard a girl's voice. Duo put two and two together, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "So Wu-man, who's the girl?"

"It's nothing like that, so don't even start, Maxwell," Wufei growled, turning his attention back towards Duo. "I've said what I wanted to say, so make sure to tell the others." Before Duo could reply, Wufei hung up on his end.

"What did Wufei have to say," Heero asked, entering the room just in time to hear the last of the conversation.

"Hey, Heero," Duo exclaimed. "Wufei will be back by the end of the week. Isn't that great!"

"Duo, why don't you ever call him Wufei to his face," Quatre asked. "It would save you from being yelled at so much by him.

"Ah, that's no fun," Duo stated. "People like him and Heero, here, need to have their feathers ruffled every once in a while." Heero glared at Duo, and the self-proclaimed Shinigami shrank back.

"We'd better tell Relena she's going to have another guest by the end of the week, then," Trowa stated. The others nodded in agreement. The three pilots looked towards Heero, and he scowled. He turned and left the rather large guesthouse they shared, and headed towards the main house to tell Relena the news.

To Be Continued . . .

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I hope you all enjoy this so far! As I put in the summary, this is an idea I had that I couldn't get out of my head. It's not what you may think it is, despite the title ... If I think of a better one, I'll change it. Anyway, please leave a review.


	2. Heart of the Dragon, 02

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

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Heart of the Dragon

Part 2

"Master O," Meilin stated. "I'm worried about Wufei. He hasn't returned yet from town."

"Don't worry, Meilin, he'll be back," Doctor O replied, not looking up from his laptop. She placed the tea tray down, and then turned to leave the room. She thought better of it, and then turned back towards her sensei, wringing her hands nervously.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard the two of you arguing earlier," she pressed. "What was it about?" Master O stopped typing, and turned towards the girl.

"Meilin," he began.

"I deserve to know," she blurted out. "Wufei is very important to me." The man seemed to be considering something, and then sighed.

"I've trained you well, Meilin, but this ... It may be too much for you to handle," he stated hesitantly. He turned back towards his laptop. "You see Wufei, he's been ..."

"What is it, Doctor O," Meilin asked, a serious edge coming into her voice. "If it's about Wufei, you have no right keeping it from me."

"Wufei was caught by some renegade OZ soldiers, looking for revenge against the Gundams," Doctor O stated after a long pause. He turned the laptop towards her so she could see the screen. "They plan on holding him, in an attempt to get the other Gundam pilots to come for him."

"But, Master O," Meilin exclaimed. "Weren't the pilots trained not to rescue the other pilots, in the case they were captured?"

"They were," he replied. "That's where you would come in."

"Me," she asked. "How can I help?"

"You would have to impersonate Wufei," he stated, offering her a weak smile. "You would first have to pull off his personality perfectly, and then convince the other pilots to go on a fake rescue mission." Her eyes grew big, and he typed in some information on his laptop. "Here is the layout of Gundam Shenlong. Learn to pilot it." He pushed another sequence of buttons, and a picture of four teenage boys appeared in each corner of the screen.

"Those are the Gundam pilots," Meilin stated, studying the screen.

"You are correct," Doctor O replied. "Here is a record of each of their skills and personalities. Read it, learn it, and memorize it. Meilin, you must keep in mind that Wufei has spent months around these pilots. If your impersonation is not one-hundred percent accurate, they will know."

"I don't know if I can do this," Meilin said. "I've known Wufei all our lives, but I don't know if I can impersonate him. And I would have to convince others that have seen a totally different side to him than I have." She looked into Master O's eyes, studying his face. "Do the others even know he's been captured?"

"No, Meilin, they haven't received word, and they never will," he stated. "I came across this information purely by accident. And, I didn't tell you the entire truth."

"What do you mean," Meilin asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.

"The ones holding Wufei, they didn't plan on using him as bait, to get the others," Doctor O stated. "They planned on executing him, without alerting the others. They may not be too bright, but they're not stupid, either. They knew that if the other pilots knew they had one of their comrades, the others would attempt to rescue him."

"They'll ... kill him," she asked. He nodded his head.

"If you take this mission, you won't have much time to convince the other pilots to help you," Doctor O explained. "You'll probably have two weeks, at most. Do you accept your mission?"

"I do," she stated, serious once again, and without hesitation. Doctor O put a hand on her shoulder.

"Chang Wufei's life rests in your hands, Meilin," he said. "If you wish to rescue him, you know what you need to do. You leave for Earth at the end of the week." She nodded her head in understanding, and watched as he left the room. After he was gone, she sank to her knees.

"Please, Wufei," she whispered, steeling away her emotions as best she could. "Please, just hold on. I will rescue you, with or without the other's help." She wiped away unshed tears from her eyes, and turned towards the laptop, which Doctor O had left behind. With a heavy sigh, she began to memorize the information.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The following days, Meilin studied the information on the Shenlong, and memorized the skills and personalities of each of the Gundam pilots. She looked up from the screen she was studying.

"Meilin," Doctor O stated, entering the room. "It's time to test how much you've learned."

"Alright, Doctor, I think I'm ready," she stated.

"Who is this," he asked, holding up a picture of one of the pilots.

"Duo Maxwell of Colony L2, American pilot of Gundam Deathscythe Hell," she replied. "You and the other doctors redesigned the original Deathscythe, after it was destroyed by OZ."

"Good," he stated. "And this?"

"Quatre Reberba Winner of Colony L4, Arabic pilot of Gundam Sandrock," she stated. "His original Gundam was rebuilt after it self-detonated in order for the pilots to escape into outer space.

"Excellent," he replied. "And him?"

"Trowa Barton of Colony L3, as well as Earth," she stated. "His machine is Gundam Heavyarms. He lost his memory for a short amount of time, after infiltrating OZ and a battle that ensued between himself, Quatre, and Heero."

"And finally, him," Doctor O said, holding up the last picture.

"Heero Yuy of Colony L1, Japanese pilot of Gundam Wing Zero," she replied. "Doctor J built and designed his Gundam, and ..."

"No, Meilin, you're wrong," Doctor O interrupted. "Quatre Reberba Winner had this Gundam built."

"After his Gundam Sandrock was destroyed, and his father was murdered," Meilin added. "I'm, sorry."

"Of all the pilots, Heero Yuy will be quickest to realize you are not who you say you are," Doctor O stated. "Keep that in mind."

"Yes, of course," she stated, lowering her head.

"There's no time for regret," Doctor O quickly continued. "Get into the Shenlong, and show me how you handle it."

"Don't you mean Nataku," she asked, a small smile on her face. Doctor O looked at her, surprised, and then nodded his approval. "Good, Meilin," he stated. "Very good."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Are you prepared to leave, Meilin," Doctor O asked, as he came up behind her. She was standing in front of a mirror, running her hands through her newly cut hair.

"Was it really necessary to cut my hair," she asked, a sorrowful look on her face. "His hair could have grown in the two weeks he was here."

"Not that much, Meilin," Doctor O stated with a chuckle, and then growing serious once again. "This is a very important mission."

"I know, Master O," she replied. She turned away from the mirror, and pulled her hair back into the style Wufei usually wore. Since they were almost the same height, she could easily also wear his clothes, although they were a little big on her. She turned to face the scientist.

"You do almost look like him," Doctor O stated. "I don't know whether to be thankful, or horrified." She laughed, and then he grew serious once again. "You have one final task, before leaving for Earth."

"What do I need to do," she asked. He picked up the phone, and handed it to her.

"Call them, and let them know you're on your way," he replied. "If you can convince them now, you'll be able to do it when you come face to face with them." She slowly nodded her head, and took the receiver from him. Then, with shaking hands, she dialed the number. After a few rings, the other side was picked up.

"Hello, this is the Dorlian-Peacecraft residence. This is Quatre speaking," Quatre greeted. Meilin swallowed nervously.

_"Damn, I was hoping to speak with the Peacecraft girl,"_ Meilin thought inwardly. _"That's why I called the main house."_

"Hello, is anyone there," Quatre repeated. Meilin jumped, as she had forgotten she was still on the phone.

"Quatre, this is Wufei," she said, forming the words carefully in her mind. "I'm on my way back to Earth. I should be there in a few hours."

"Wufei, it's good to hear from you," Quatre exclaimed. "Well, have a safe trip."

"Hmph," Meilin snorted. There was commotion on his side of the line, and a new voice came onto the phone.

"Wu-man," Duo exclaimed. Meilin felt herself smile, however regained her composure.

_"I wonder why this nickname bothers Wufei so much,"_ she thought inwardly. _"I like it."_ She cleared her throat. "Maxwell, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that," Meilin demanded.

"Ah, you haven't changed a bit, Wu-man," Duo stated cheerfully. "But you do sound different."

_"Oh no,"_ Meilin thought. _"They know already!"_ She searched her mind for an answer. "Well, Maxwell, having to be around you again would do that to anyone," she stated.

"Ah, I missed you too, Wu-man," Duo said with a laugh. "I'll see you in a few hours." With that, he hung up the phone, leaving Meilin to stare at the receiver.

"Meilin, you did well," Doctor O stated. "You pulled it off fine. All I need to do is make a small adjustment on the voice mechanism, and you should be able to leave."

"Alright, Master O," she replied. He took the device from her, and made the adjustment. When he gave it back to her, she placed it on the base of her throat, hiding it behind the high collar of the shirt she wore. Then the two walked outside, and when they reached the Gundam, she turned towards her sensei.

"You will do well, Meilin," he stated. "Just remember your training, and do not ever panic. I know you can complete this mission successfully."

"Thank you, Doctor," she replied. She bowed to him respectfully, and then climbed up into Shenlong. He backed away a safe distance, and watched as she left the colony. _"Please, let me be successful,"_ she prayed silently. _"For Wufei's sake."_

To Be Continued . . .


	3. Heart of the Dragon, 03

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

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Heart of the Dragon

Part 3

Meilin sighed as she traveled through space, making her way slowly towards the Earth. She stared at the laptop on her lap, continuing her studies of the pilots and their personalities. She blinked down at the screen as she studied Heero's stats for what seemed like the hundredth time.

_"Heero Yuy will be the first to realize you're not who you claim you are,"_ Master O's words rang through her mind. She shook her head and glared down at Heero's picture.

"Will I be able to fool you, Heero Yuy," she asked his picture. "Or will you shoot me on sight?" She swallowed nervously as she thought of the possible scenario. She allowed her mind to wander until a repeated beeping sound brought her back to the present. She flipped on the view-screen, and the Earth loomed in front of her. "It's just as beautiful as I thought it would be."

_"Meilin, do not be nervous around the Gundam pilots,"_ Master O's encouraging words repeated in her mind. _"You've studied Wufei's personality just as much as the others. I know you'll find it a little difficult to act exactly as him, but you can pull it off. You must."_

"Well, here goes nothing," Meilin said, preparing herself for the task at hand. She pressed the controls to take the Shenlong off of auto-pilot, and began her descent towards Earth.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Duo plopped down on the couch and sighed heavily. "How much longer is it going to take for Wufei to get here," he grumbled. "It's just so boring around here without him. I can't have any fun."

"We both talked to him this morning when we were having breakfast with Ms. Relena, Duo," Quatre replied. "It should only take him a couple of hours."

"I know, Quatre," Duo stated "I'm just impatient right now."

"Well we'll just have to be patient," Quatre commented. "He'll be here soon." There was a knock at the door and Duo jumped up.

"I'll get it," he exclaimed enthusiastically. He ran to the door and threw it open. "Wu-man," he exclaimed. When he saw who was standing on the other side, he sighed. "Oh, hi Relena."

"Hello, Duo," she stated. "May I come in?" He nodded his head, and then stepped aside so she could step in past him. "Thank you."

"Sure," he mumbled. "What brings you by here?"

"I was just wondering if Wufei was back yet," she said as the two made their way towards the living room.

"No," Duo stated. "We're still waiting for him now." As they entered the living room, Quatre looked up.

"Oh, hello Ms. Relena," he greeted. "Would you like some tea? It's just freshly made."

"Yes, thank you, Quatre," she replied. "That would be nice." As he left the room, Relena sat down next to Heero, who was typing away at his laptop. "Hello, Heero." He grunted in response and she looked over towards the pilot of Heavyarms. "Hello, Trowa." He nodded and she smiled.

"Here is your tea, Ms. Relena," Quatre stated, giving her the cup. She accepted it with a quiet thank you.

"When will Wufei be back," she asked, quickly taking a sip of her tea and then setting the cup down on the coffee table.

"He should be back anytime soon," Quatre stated, looking at his watch. "He's at least two hours from Earth, because he said he would be here in a couple of hours."

"Oh," she stated quietly.

"You're going to brave his return, Relena," Duo asked with a raised eyebrow. He laced his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair he was sitting on.

"Yes, I suppose I am," she replied with a laugh. "But, there is one other reason I came here."

"And what would that be," Duo asked, tilting his chair back on two legs.

"I hope you don't think me too forward, but I have taken the liberty of enrolling you all in school, here, including Wufei," she began. "You would have free room and board, and any fees will be taken care of by the school."

"School," Trowa asked, looking towards her through his hair.

"I have already approved everything, and if you agree to it, you'll be starting with me when the new semester begins at the end of this month," she quickly continued.

"Ms. Relena," Quatre began. "That's very kind of you." He looked around at the others, trying to read their expressions.

"I guess I'm just a little nervous about returning to school, and I was looking for comfort in numbers," she said quietly. "We've all been through so much together. You five are like my safety net, and I hope you see me as the same." She looked at each of the pilots and smiled. "What do you think?"

"Our stay here isn't permanent, Relena," Heero stated, closing his laptop and standing from his seat. "These actions aren't necessary."

"Oh Heero, this is something I want to do," Relena argued, standing as well. "You five pilots put your lives on the line without a second thought, and you helped to bring a peace between the Earth Sphere and the colonies. Let me do this for you!"

"Ms. Relena, you've done so much for us already," Quatre exclaimed. "We'd be imposing if you were to do anything more."

"I know I may sound silly or selfish, especially to a soldier," she stated. "I want you five to enjoy this reign of peace here, with me. And I believe that here, in the Sanq Kingdom, is the only place you can enjoy that to its full extent."

"We're big boys, Relena," Trowa said. "You can't shelter us from the world."

"Just for the time being," she begged. "Please, would you at least consider it?"

"We'll think about it," Heero said after a long, silent pause. "But we're not promising you anything."

"Thank you, Heero," Relena beamed. "You don't know how much this means to me." She gasped as the foundation of the guest house shook slightly as something passed overhead. "What was that," she asked, confused.

"That's gotta be Wu-man," Duo exclaimed. He bounded off his seat, toppling it over in the process, and ran to the window. "Yep, that's him alright," he stated before making a beeline for the door.

As the Shenlong touched down on the ground, inside Meilin sighed in relief. She leaned back, gathering her thoughts and trying to still her racing heart. "The easy part is over with," she stated. "Now for the hard part."

"Hey Wu-man! Are you going to sit in there all day, or are you going to get out," a voice filtered through, reaching Meilin.

_"Duo,"_ she thought inwardly with an amused smile. "No, Maxwell," she corrected herself out loud.

"Ah, don't start ignoring me already, Wu-man," Duo whined. "You just go here!"

"Well, he is persistent," Meilin stated with a wry smile. She slowly began to shut down Shenlong and when it was done, she checked the voice mechanism at the base of her throat to make sure it was hidden one last time. "Here it goes." She opened the hatch and then slowly climbed down from the cockpit, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

"Welcome back, Wu-man," Duo exclaimed, throwing an arm around Meilin's shoulders and putting her into a headlock. "How was your trip? Where'd you go?"

"Maxwell, get off," Meilin managed to growl, pushing Duo's arm off of her. She frowned at him with her best Wufei impersonation, and then looked towards the others, who were standing around the yard. Quatre and Relena were standing off to the side near Duo, while Heero and Trowa stood closer to the guest house.

"Welcome back, Wufei," Relena stated, stepping towards Meilin slightly. "I hope your return means you'll be staying for a while."

_"Remember, to Wufei all women are weak,"_ Meilin reminded herself, frowning at the thought. She turned towards Relena, and crossed her arms. "It's an injustice that I have accepted hospitality from a weak woman, but I guess it will have to do for now."

"Now Wufei," Quatre protested. "Ms. Relena was kind enough to offer her guest house to us. You should show more gratitude towards her."

"It's okay, Quatre," Relena said. "I'm sure he means well."

"Ah, take it easy Wu-man," Duo exclaimed, clasping a hand on Meilin's shoulder. "Now come on, and I'll show you to your room. It's right across from mine."

"Great," Meilin mumbled, allowing herself to be led towards the house by Duo. As the two walked forward, inevitably closer to Heero and Trowa, Meilin made a mental note to keep her gaze straight ahead. She swallowed nervously, and butterflies danced in her stomach as she and Duo drew nearer to Heero.

"Wufei," Heero said, staring at Meilin intently as she and Duo passed by him. She stopped and turned towards Heero, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Don't forget to put Shenlong in the hangar." He frowned at her slightly, and she managed to keep a blank look on her face.

"I haven't forgotten about Nataku," Meilin stated, keeping her voice steady. She held Heero's gaze until Duo tugged on her sleeve.

"Come on, Wu-man," Duo whined. She tore her gaze away from Heero and glared at Duo, who laughed nervously.

"I told you, Maxwell," she began. "My name is Wufei, not Wu-man."

"Well how about this," Duo chirped. "If you call me Duo, I won't call you Wu-man!" Meilin sighed and rolled her eyes, causing a laugh from Duo. "I didn't think you could do it ... Wu-man!"

_"I'm beginning to see why Wufei is so easily annoyed by him,"_ Meilin thought inwardly, glaring at Duo. He only laughed, and she followed him once again as he led her into the house.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that night, in the solitude of her room, Meilin reflected on the night's events. She stretched out across her bed on her stomach and let out a sigh. Earlier, after Duo had showed her to the room, and she had reluctantly allowed him to give her a tour of the house, she had gone back outside to put Shenlong in the hangar. Heero had still been outside, and watched her the entire time.

"He's a lot more suspicious than his file let on," she mumbled quietly. "I'd better be careful around him." She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes, going back to her thoughts.

After she put Shenlong in the hangar with the other Gundams, she returned to the guest house to discover that Relena had sent lunch down to them. The five sat and ate quietly, and then went to do their own things. Meilin had taken the opportunity to explore the grounds, and observe the pilots from afar. The rest of the day passed quickly, and she and the others went to the main house to have dinner with Relena to celebrate "Wufei's" return. After dinner, Duo had persuaded everyone to play a game of charades - with Relena and Quatre's help. Meilin and Heero had reluctantly agreed, while Trowa was indifferent. They had split up into two teams - Relena, Heero, and Trowa on one team, and Meilin, Duo, and Quatre on the other.

_"Well, at least Wufei doesn't seem to be the only one with a tormentor,"_ Meilin thought. _"I almost feel sorry for Heero."_ She rolled over onto her back and opened her eyes, only to find a pair of eyes staring down at her. She nearly screamed and somehow tumbled backwards, falling off the bed. She landed on the ground with a hard thud, leaving her staring up at the ceiling. A few seconds later, the same pair of eyes peered over the edge of the bed, down at her.

"Geez, Wu-man, I didn't mean to scare you," Duo exclaimed. "But that's the funniest thing I've seen all day!" He chuckled, and Meilin rose to a sitting position. As she was about to say something, she quickly clamped her mouth shut.

_"Oh no,"_ she thought frantically. It dawned on her that when she had changed into a pair of boxers and a white T-shirt that she had found in one of the drawers to wear to bed, she had taken off the voice mechanism. _"If I talk without that device, I'll blow my cover!"_

"I never thought that there would be a day I'd catch you off guard," Duo mused. Meilin stood and glared at Duo, causing him to smile nervously.

_"Comfortable,"_ she thought, annoyed. He was sprawled out on her bed, lying on his stomach. She walked over to the other side of the bed, and pulled him up by his ponytail.

"Ow, Wu-man, that hurts," he screeched. She let go of his ponytail and ushered him towards the door. "Well, good night to you too, then, grouchy," Duo huffed. He turned on his heel, leaving the room, and she closed the door behind him, making sure to lock it.

"I've got to be more careful," Meilin scolded herself. "Or else this will be a lot harder than I had anticipated."

To Be Continued . . .


	4. Heart of the Dragon, 04

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

__

Heart of the Dragon

Part 4

Meilin rolled out of bed early the next morning before the sun had even risen, as she was already accustomed to waking up before dawn. She cursed softly as she tripped over something in her still unfamiliar room, and then slowly made her way towards the door. She slowly poked her head out the door and looked both ways. Seeing that it was clear, she made her way to the bathroom . . .

_"You remind me more of Wufei as every day passes, Meilin," Doctor O stated. "You will be ready to leave for Earth by the end of this week."_

"Master O, why is it that Wufei has such a rigorous schedule," she asked, looking over the Shenlong pilot's profile. "I know he was training himself as a soldier, but he didn't leave time for anything." She stood and looked out the window, towards Shenlong. "It seems that Nataku is his only means for a piece of mind."

"In his heart, I feel he believes that the only place for a soldier like him is in the battlefield," he replied. "Anything else makes him feel inadequate."

"That's sad," she commented, turning back towards her sensei. "That state of mind is probably what got him into the situation he's in. Doesn't he realize he has someone who cares about his well being? Doesn't he know that I care? That is perhaps the only difference between him and I. I know people care about me. When did he forget?"

"Then that is what we must show him again, Meilin," Master O said. "And you're right. You and him are not too dissimilar. Both of your clans share similar values."

Meilin snorted. "Our clans! Had it not been for our clans, we would have had each other," she exclaimed, anger growing in her voice. "He would not have suffered the cruelty of war alone. We could have supported each other; fought side-by-side."

"Meilin, you're letting anger cloud your thoughts," Doctor O began, placing a hand on her shoulder. "His rigorous training is due to the values of his clan. He holds them in highest regard; which is exactly why you must perform all his daily rituals. The other pilots will get suspicious, if you don't. Do you understand?" She nodded her head, and bowed to her sensei . . .

Meilin splashed cold water on her face, washing away the lasting remnants of sleep. _"It's time to get this mission underway officially,"_ she thought as she wiped her face off with a towel. Trying to keep as quiet as she could, Meilin went back to her room to change.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

An hour later, Meilin returned to the guest house after her morning jog, right as the sun began to rise. She grabbed the things she would need for her guise, and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Stepping out of the shower ten minutes later, she stood in front of the mirror and wiped off the glass surface with her towel. She quickly brushed her chin-length black hair, and pulled it back into a ponytail. She put on her undergarments, and then looked into the mirror, her reflection staring back at her . . .

_"You want me to do what," Meilin demanded, looking at Doctor O in shock. She looked down at the outfit she wore, which she had borrowed from Wufei's wardrobe, and then back at him._

"There's no way getting around it, Meilin," he stated. "You have a woman's figure. You've got to flatten your chest, or else you'll give away your cover."

"And how am I supposed to do that," she asked calmly, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.

"Here," he replied, tossing her a roll of medical tape. "Go and tape this across your chest and rib cage. Wrap it as tightly as you can bear it. Then come back out here, only without the outer jacket."

"I can't believe this," she muttered. She looked back at Master O and frowned slightly. "I'll do it, but only because it's for Wufei." She sighed, and then went back to her room. When she came back out, she had on a black tank top, which contrasted with the white bandages and pants. "Well," she asked, standing stiffly.

"It will do for now, Meilin," he replied after studying her. "There's nothing that can be done about your small waist, but you will need to keep your chest wrapped at all times. You will also need to be careful not to let the others see the bandages, for it will raise their suspicions . . ."

Meilin sighed as she finished wrapping the tape around herself, and pulled a tank top over her head. The tape had taken some getting used to, and at first left her sore, but she had gotten used to it. She took the voice mechanism and put it in place, then looked at her reflection. "There has to be a better way to hide it than wearing high collars," she said. It still surprised her how much her voice actually did sound like Wufei's. She shrugged it off and pulled on the rest of her clothes.

Leaving the bathroom, Meilin put the rest of her things in her room, and closed the door behind her. She made her way to the kitchen, and looked around in annoyance as she saw the room. It was relatively clean, however there were a few dishes in the sink, and the floor needed to be swept and mopped. "How am I supposed to make anything in a kitchen like this," she mumbled. Taking off the outer jacket she wore and hanging it on the back of a chair, she walked over to the sink and filled it for dishwater. After she had done the dishes, she found the broom, dustpan, bucket, and mop.

Before long, the kitchen had been swept and mopped, and Meilin looked around with a satisfied smile on her face. "Now, for breakfast," she stated, putting her jacket back on. She took the things she would need to cook out of the pantries and refrigerator, and got the pots she would need to cook the meal. She let her instinct take over as she began to cook. Leaving the pot to simmer the vegetables, meat, and rice, she filled the tea and coffee pots with water, and put the coffee grounds in the coffeepot. Returning to the stove, she put the vegetables and meat into one pot, and stirred it absently after she seasoned it.

"What are you cooking," Duo asked, looking over her shoulder and causing her to jump.

"Duo," she exclaimed. "_Don't sneak up on me like that! You scared me_," she yelled at the braided pilot in Chinese. Duo looked at her confused, and she sighed.

"Wufei, man," he stated. "I don't know what you said, but I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, you did Maxwell," she snapped. "Wait, you called me Wufei."

"You called me Duo," he retorted with a lop-sided grin. "You sure are jumpy lately, Wu-man."

"And now you're calling me Wu-man again," she stated with a glare.

"You called me Maxwell," he said with a shrug, smirking and causing her to throw her arms into the air in frustration.

"You're impossible," she growled, returning her attention back to the pot.

"Good morning. Something in here smells good," Quatre stated as he entered the kitchen. He took a look around, and raised an eyebrow. "Someone cleaned up." He looked towards Duo and Meilin, and Duo pointed a thumb in Meilin's direction.

"Don't look at me," Duo exclaimed. "Wu-man, here, must have cleaned. And he's making breakfast, too."

"That's nice of you, Wufei," Quatre stated, walking over towards the stove to investigate.

"Well, I hadn't planned on fixing all this," Meilin stated. "But I started cooking, and cooked enough for everyone. I guess I'm still used to cooking for more people than myself, so don't take it as my being nice." The trio turned as they heard the shuffling of feet, and saw Trowa standing there.

"Hey, Trowa," Duo greeted.

"Good morning, Trowa," Quatre echoed.

"Morning," he replied, walking to the cupboard and getting a mug. He poured himself some coffee, and then looked at Duo. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could smell the food cooking down here, so I got up," Duo replied, shrugging. "You know me! Not even the God of Death can sleep through a meal."

"Maxwell, make yourself useful and get some plates and silverware," Meilin stated. She stirred the rice, and then added it to the vegetable and meat combination. She then transferred the meal to a large bowl, and set in on the table. She went to turn the stove off, and returned to the table and sat with the others. "This is all I'm making," she told them. "If you want anything else, you'll have to fix it yourself. There's coffee and water for tea."

"Well, it smells good," Duo said, rubbing his hands together. "It is safe, right," he joked.

Meilin raised an eyebrow. "Do you trust me," she asked with a challenging smirk on her face. Duo shrugged and then scooped some of the food onto his plate. Meilin watched as he brought his fork up to his mouth and thoughtfully chewed. A small, unnoticeable smile appeared on her face as Duo's eyes grew big.

"This is really good, Wu-man," he exclaimed, shoveling more of the food into his mouth. Meilin looked towards Trowa and Quatre, who both had already served themselves, as they nodded in agreement.

"Hmph," she murmured, biting her lip to keep from smiling. She fixed a plate for herself and quietly ate, tuning out the sound of Duo's voice as he talked. She finished and took her plate to the sink just as Heero entered the kitchen. Wordlessly, the perfect soldier went to the cupboard to get a mug for his morning coffee.

"Heero, you've gotta try this food Wu-man made," Duo said with his mouth full of food. He swallowed the food and patted his stomach. "It's really good."

"If you want any, you'd better get it now," Meilin said to Heero. "Maxwell has been eating like that for at least five minutes." She looked at Heero, however he just silently went to the table and sat down. She fumed with anger silently as Quatre took his plate to the sink.

"Thanks again for breakfast, Wufei," he stated. "I agree with Duo. It was very good." He looked over at her, and a worried look passed his face. "Wufei?"

"I heard you," she snapped. "I made breakfast, so I'm not doing any of the dishes." She turned on her heel and practically stomped out of the kitchen.

"I wonder what he was so angry about," Quatre asked as he returned to the table with a cup of tea. "Breakfast went so well. He and Duo actually seemed to be getting along."

"Yeah, it was nice," Duo replied. "Until Heero got here. What did you do to him?" Heero glared at Duo over his mug and silently drank his coffee. "Well, aren't you Mister Sunshine!" Heero ignored the rest of their conversation as he stared in the direction Meilin left.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that afternoon, Meilin sat in the cockpit of Shenlong. She had been there since the incident that morning, and hadn't even returned to the house. The other pilots had seemed to be warming up to her, all except for Heero. "Why does he have to be like that," she asked the console of the Gundam. "What a miserable person he is! How am I supposed to get him to help me, if he won't even _speak_ to me?" She rested her arms on the armrests of the pilot chair, and leaned her head back against the headrest. "I'm beginning to understand why Wufei takes such comfort in you, Nataku."

Her head snapped up as a beep sounded from the console. She pressed the flashing button, and Doctor O appeared on the screen. "Greetings, Wufei," he said.

"Master O," Meilin exclaimed. "How ..."

"We are talking on a secure line," he stated, interrupting her. "How is your progress so far?"

"I don't know, Sensei," she replied. "The pilots have all warmed up to me, however Heero hasn't. He's been so cold and off-standish towards me. How am I supposed to get someone like that to help me?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself," he replied. "You'll be able to do it."

"It's not as simple as that," she argued. "I think Heero may suspect something, or even know that I'm not Wufei. You don't see the way he _looks_ at me sometimes; like he contemplating something."

"Meilin, calm down," Doctor O began. "It's in his nature to be suspicious. He's a soldier, just as Wufei is. Remember that fact. It's reassuring that you at least seem to have the trust of the others. It will just take more time to earn Heero's faith in you. I want you to contact me again in two days."

"Alright, Sensei," she replied. "I have a question, though. How did you know I was here?"

Doctor O smiled. "It was an instinct, I suppose," he stated. "That, and you somehow triggered the call button when you got into Shenlong." She laughed softly, and he smiled slightly. "It's good to hear you laugh, Meilin. Contact me again in two days."

"Two days," she stated, closing the link. "Two days is what I have to earn Heero's trust."

To Be Continued . . .


	5. Heart of the Dragon, 05

HotD05

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

AN - I've gotta dedicate this to Chibi-chan, for keeping on me to write this! You know who you are. ^_~ Thank you, thank you, thank you!

__

Heart of the Dragon

Part 5

_"Meilin, how have you been," Wufei asked as he sat on the floor, across the table from her. She poured them both a cup of tea, and smiled weakly at him._

"As good as can be expected," she replied. "I've been worrying about you, especially since I hadn't heard from you when the war started."

"I'm sorry for that," he mumbled. "I didn't want to risk your life by keeping contact with you. If Oz had found out I had a connection with a colony civilian, they would have used you against me; thus endangering my mission."

"Don't you mean your life," she asked.

"No, my mission always came before my life," he replied. "Life isn't worth living, if ruled by the unjust."

"I really hate it when you talk like that, Wufei," Meilin snapped, glaring at him angrily.

"Don't start with me, Meilin, with those weak emotions," he stated.

"Why do you always do that," she demanded. "Do you know what I risked, to be here? You know that both of our clans take great pride in honor, and I disregarded mine when I heard Master O returned here." Her voice trailed, and she looked down at the cup in her hands. "Then you returned unexpectedly ... And this is the treatment I get from you!"

Wufei's eyebrows show up in surprise at the tone of her voice. "Meilin, I ..."

"Just save it, Wufei," Meilin interrupted as she set her mug down and stood up. She began to walk away from Wufei, however she stopped and turned back towards him slightly. "It's at a time like this that makes me wonder whether or not it would have been better not to have seen you at all," she stated quietly.

He narrowed his eyes at her, and crossed his arms. "Sometimes I wonder that, too," he retorted. Meilin bit her lower lip to keep from saying something she knew she'd regret later. Turning her back to him once again, she left him in the room by himself.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Meilin woke with a start, wiping the thin layer of sweat from her brow. She turned on her side to look at the clock, which read five AM. _"Wufei, I didn't mean those things I said,"_ Meilin thought inwardly, closing her eyes against her memory.

Fifteen minutes later, she gave a disgusted, exasperated sigh. Throwing the covers off of herself, she got out of bed and pulled off the T-shirt and boxers she wore for pajamas. Picking up a discarded pair of sweat pants and a loose-fitting shirt from the floor, she put them on and quietly slipped out her room and through the house. Closing the front door behind her, she slowly began to stretch for her morning jog.

_"Wufei,"_ she thought, stretching her arms high above her head, _"today I must get Heero to trust me. How much longer do you have before they kill you?"_ Her jog around the Dorlian-Peacecraft grounds seemed a lot shorter than previous mornings. As she ran past the main house, she was surprised that Heero was out jogging that morning, as well. It surprised her even more when he joined her, jogging silently beside her. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye, and he was just staring straight ahead.

"Wufei," he stated suddenly, his breath forming in the crisp, morning air. "Before you left, I wasn't overstepping my boundaries."

"I know," Meilin replied, though she had no clue what he was talking about. _"What is he talking about,"_ her mind screamed. She glanced over at him as he began to speak again.

"Relena doesn't know the life of a soldier," Heero continued. "But the five of us being here gives her a strange kind of comfort. She puts too much faith in us."

"A warrior's heart and soul truly belongs in the battlefield," Meilin stated, repeating the words Wufei had once told her, "and she just doesn't understand that." She slowed to a stop, as a realization dawned upon her. "Perhaps ... Perhaps that's why Wu… I ran away from this place."

Heero stopped jogging as well, turning around to face Meilin. "In any case, Wufei, Relena wishes for all of us pilots to remain here for an undisclosed amount of time," he stated. "I know your feelings towards her, and I've talked to her."

"Heero, I ... I'll tolerate the situation for as long as I can," Meilin stated carefully. "But I'm not promising that I'll stay here for as long as she wants."

"I know, and that's all she can really expect from any of us," Heero replied. He turned to continue jogging, however looked back over his shoulder. "Welcome back, Wufei." Meilin didn't bother trying to hide the surprised look on her face. She numbly nodded her head, and he gave a curt nod in return.

As she watched Heero run away, his figure retreating into the distance, a slow smile spread across her face. _"I've got your trust, Heero Yuy,"_ she spoke in Chinese. She gave herself a pinch, and once satisfied that she was, in fact, awake, she continued her jog.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Great job, Meilin," Master O commended her over their private link. "With this obstacle overcome, you'll soon be able to enlist the pilot's help."

Meilin sat in the cockpit of Shenlong, after she finished her morning schedule. She had told Master O of her encounter with Heero, however she wasn't as confident as she had been earlier. "Sensei …" she began. She stopped short and shook her head. "What should I do next?"

There was a long silence before he answered. "Continue your charade for the moment," he finally replied. He looked at her through the vid-screen and smiled. "I have a gift for you. Expect it in the mail today."

"Of course, Sensei," she stated. As she reached over to the console to close the link, he cleared his throat and she withdrew her hand. "Sensei?"

"Meilin," he said. "Prepare yourself for an upcoming confrontation. The exercises I have taught you in the past should be sufficient."

"I will train right away," she said grimly. The link was disconnected from Master O's side, and Meilin stared at the static on the screen blankly before finally pressing the button. Shaking her head, she opened the hatch to the cockpit, and lowered herself to the ground with the cable.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that afternoon, Quatre was in the hangar, where the Gundams were kept. He sat back in his seat, typing various buttons on the console. "Well old friend, your diagnostics are fine," he said, talking to his Gundam.

"Hey Quatre," Duo called up from the ground, his voice filtering through to the Sandrock pilot. "You in there, buddy?"

"I'm here, Duo," Quatre replied, poking his head out of the Gundam. "I'll be down in a minute." Seconds later, the cable lowered to the ground, and Quatre jumped off. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you've seen Wufei anywhere," Duo stated. "He has some mail."

"Oh, Wufei? Yes, I've seen him," Quatre replied. "He's practicing his mantras and training exercises, so you'd better not bother him. You know how he gets." Quatre sighed as Duo's eyes glinted with mischief. "Duo ..."

"Don't worry, Quatre," Duo exclaimed. "I won't make Wufei angry ... much." Tucking the package, which had come in the mail, under his arm, Duo ran in the direction where Meilin was.

"I'd better keep an eye on him," Quatre sighed, watching as Duo disappeared around the corner. After closing the door to the hangar, Quatre ran around the corner, nearly running into Duo. "Duo, what ..."

"Quatre, look," Duo interrupted. "Something's bothering him. He only does those exercises when something's on his mind." Duo's brow wrinkled into a frown. _"Or when he's preparing himself for a mission,"_ he thought silently. The two watched in silence as Meilin swung the katana in rapid successions. She dropped the blade, and began performing martial arts moves.

"Maybe we really shouldn't bother him, then, Duo," Quatre suggested.

"He looks like he could use a break," Duo stated, already running over towards Meilin. "Hey, Wu-man!" Meilin dropped her stance and slowly turned towards the sound of his voice.

"Did you need something," she asked, slightly out of breath. She grabbed the bottle of water she had, taking a long drink. Lowering the bottle, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Well, Maxwell, what do you want?"

Duo shook his head and flashed a smile. "Hey Wu-man, it looked like you could use a break," he began. "And what better way to spend a break, than reading your mail?" He showed her the package hidden underneath his arm.

"That came for me," she asked, holding her hand out towards the box expectantly. Duo shook his head, holding the box near his ear and shaking it slightly.

"I wonder what it could be," he asked, handing it over to her after she gave him an annoyed look.

"Well, I guess I'll find out," she replied, taking it from him. He held his hand out towards her, and she frowned in confusion. "What?"

"I don't deliver for free, you know," Duo stated. "Pay up, Wu-man. I'm no deliver boy!"

Meilin smirked, beginning to make her way towards the guesthouse. She stopped next to Duo, glancing over at him. "My thanks should be payment enough," she stated. She smiled slightly, and continued walking.

"Hell has finally frozen over," Duo commented to Quatre as the blonde came to stand next to him. "Wufei thanked me for something." Quatre laughed, and the two watched as Meilin disappeared around the side of the building.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After dinner that evening, Meilin went to her room, locking the door behind her. Opening the closet doors, she pulled the small package she had gotten in the mail down from the top shelf. Box in hand, she plopped down onto the bed, and opened it.

"What's this," she asked, taking a small object from the box. She noticed as a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Reaching down to pick it up off the floor, she turned it over and saw that it was a note from Master O, in Chinese. "Let's see," she trailed, reading to herself.

_Meilin ... Here's something I've been working on. It serves the same purpose of your other voice device, only it's the same as your skin tone. I know how much you like to wear those high collars; now you don't need to worry about it being seen. Good luck._

Meilin smiled and walked over to the mirror. Putting the new device at the base of her throat, she studied her reflection in the mirror. "It really is hidden," she stated quietly. She jumped as a sudden pounding sounded at her door.

"Hey Wu-man," Duo's muffled voice said. "Open up!" Meilin sighed and walked to the door, opening it. She crossed her arms, and leaned against the frame. "I know your I-don't-talk-once-I'm-in-my-room routine ..."

"Just spit it out, Maxwell," she interrupted, smiling inwardly at the shocked look on his face. Up until this point, whenever she went into her room for the night she would take the device off, and wouldn't talk to anyone - mainly Duo since he was the only one that bothered her. _"You've got perfect timing, Sensei,"_ she thought, turning her attention back to Duo.

"First you thank me for something, and now you're talking to me," Duo mused. "What is this world coming to?" He shook his head, and snapped his fingers. "The reason I'm here, is because you're needed in the living room."

"Fine," she replied, flipping the light switch off, and following Duo down the hall. When they got to the living room, she saw that the others were there, as well. "What is this, a meeting," she joked.

"It was Duo's idea," Heero stated from where he leaned against the wall. The amused look on Meilin's face disappeared, and she sat on the couch.

"What is it," she asked, directing the question towards Duo.

"You guys look so serious," he exclaimed. "Just relax! We have to wait for one other person." There was a knock on the door, as if on cue. "And there she is!" Duo disappeared from the room, and returned with Relena in tow.

"Is something the matter," she was asking as they entered the room.

"Everything's fine," Duo exclaimed, leading her towards the couch. "Have a seat." As Relena sat down, Duo turned to everyone else.

"What's the point of this if nothing is wrong, Duo," Heero asked.

"I was just getting to that," Duo began. "I've noticed that we don't have very much fun around here. So I've been thinking, and I decided that we're all going to do something together, whether you like it or not."

"What did you have in mind," Quatre asked.

"The answer is in this hat," Duo replied, turning towards Relena. "In here, are all of our names. Reach in and draw one out." Relena looked at him skeptically, however did as he asked.

"It says Wu-man," she replied, reading the paper. "I-I mean Wufei," she quickly corrected herself.

"Okay," Duo exclaimed. "That's all I wanted. I'll tell you what we're doing tomorrow."

"You wasted our time just to have Relena draw a name out of a hat," Meilin demanded incredulously. "Are you going to at least tell us what we're doing?"

"_If_ we agree to whatever that is," Heero added.

Duo pretended to think over something, and then shook his head. "Nope, you can all wait," he stated. "It will be fun, trust me! Everyone just be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon." He laced his hands behind his head, whistling a tune as he left the room.

"What do you think he has planned," Relena asked after a moment's silence.

"I'm almost afraid to wonder," Quatre replied. "With it being Duo's idea, you never know."

__

To Be Continued . . .

****

Again, I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. I seem to get blocked on stories very easily as of late. -_-* I should have another part to _Whatever It Takes_ **soon, so keep an eye out for that.**

As always, please review!


	6. Heart of the Dragon, 06

HotD06

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

__

Heart of the Dragon

Part 6

"Maxwell, I really wonder what goes through that mind of yours sometimes," Meilin stated. She, the pilots, and Relena were standing in front of what looked like a recreational park with a series of obstacle courses and apparatus. The six teenagers were all dressed casually, wearing something comfortable, due in large part to Duo's persuasion.

Quatre looked up at the sign, which hung from the arched entrance. "Paintball Palace," he read out loud, turning towards Duo with a questioning look.

"Duo, why are we here," Heero asked, posing the question that silently ran through everyone's minds.

"To have fun, of course," Duo exclaimed. "Something, I might add, you all need to be reacquainted with." He glanced over the group and smirked. "Except in the cases of Heero and Wu-man. You need to be introduced to it, first."

"Maxwell," Meilin warned.

"Let's go," Duo exclaimed, ushering everyone inside. After he paid for their admittance, they went to get their equipment.

"What, exactly, are we doing, Duo," Relena asked. She watched momentarily as the pilots put on their protective vests. She followed suit, slipping hers on. As she struggled with her zipper, Meilin rolled her eyes, and did it for her. "Thank you, Wufei," Relena stated gratefully.

"Hmph," she replied, mentally kicking herself for her show of kindness. She cursed inwardly as she saw a smile on Duo's face.

"Well, I'm glad to see the two of you getting along, because you'll need to for our game," Duo explained. "Remember how I had you pick the name out of the hat, Relena?" She nodded her head, and Duo put an arm around Meilin's shoulder. "Well, Wu-man will have to protect you."

"From what," Relena asked. Duo got an almost predacious look on his face, causing her to take an involuntary step back.

"From us," Duo replied, making a sweeping motion past Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and himself with his free arm.

"What," Meilin exclaimed, pushing off his arm, which rested on her shoulders. "Maxwell, this is the worst idea you could have come up with!"

"He has a point, Duo," Relena added. She frowned slightly as she watched Heero check over the paint gun he held in his hands. She looked down quickly at the gun she held in her own hands, as Heero glanced up in her direction. "I don't even know how to _use_ a gun."

"It's not a real gun, Ms. Relena," Quatre stated. "Paintballs are harmless." As he showed Relena the correct way to hold the paint gun, Meilin turned towards Duo with a murderous look on her face.

"I want you to know I'm not happy about this at all," she stated simply, holding her own paint gun loosely at her side.

"I know," was Duo's reply. "But this will be and we will have fun. I'll tell you what. We'll even give you two a couple minute's head start ... before we hunt you down and win."

Meilin glared. "I don't need ..."

"Hurry, Wufei," Heero stated, interrupting her. "The clock is ticking." A small, unnoticeable smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and Meilin clenched her fist shut.

"Come on," she barked towards Relena, grabbing her loosely around the wrist before releasing it and stalking off. Relena glanced over at Duo, who was waving at them.

"Good luck you two," he stated. Relena sighed, and then turned to follow Meilin. As they disappeared, Duo turned towards the Wing pilot. "If I didn't know any better, Heero, I would think you actually like this idea."

"Hn," Heero uttered, checking over his gun once more.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Wufei, slow down," Relena stated slightly out of breath. As the two stopped, she held the paint gun awkwardly in her hands. "I don't like this anymore than you seem to, but Duo wasn't clear on what the rules are." Meilin's gaze shifted to her momentarily before glancing around for any sign of the others.

_"These trees should provide some cover for us,"_ Meilin thought as she vaguely heard as Relena continued to talk. Making a mental note to get Duo back, she turned her attention back toward the girl.

"Once we get hit, do we lose, or do we have to get hit a certain number of times," Relena asked.

"Do you always talk this much," Meilin stately bluntly. A hurt look passed over Relena's face, and she clamped her mouth shut. "I don't know what the rules are any more than you do," she continued. "Only that idiot Maxwell knows them all, and all he told us is that I have to protect you from getting hit."

"I've never done anything like this before," Relena said quietly. "I'm just nervous, I guess."

_"You and me both,"_ Meilin thought sourly. She clenched the gun tightly as her hand shook slightly. "We'll survive," she stated finally. A rustle sounded off to the side, and Meilin spun in that direction, gun in a readied position. She applied a little pressure to the trigger as the rustling grew louder.

"Quatre," Relena exclaimed as the blonde stepped through the greenery.

"Oh, Ms. Relena, Wufei," he replied. "I'm glad I found you first. I wanted to find you to tell you the rest of the rules." Meilin relaxed a little as the boy smiled.

"Well," she prompted.

"We're playing Duo's version of hide-and-seek, I suppose," Quatre began. "Though hunt-and-destroy is what he called it." Quatre laughed nervously before continuing. "Like he said, you have to protect Relena from us. If any one of us are hit by either you or Relena, then we're out for the game."

"What about us, if we're hit," Relena asked. An explosion of color appeared on Meilin's shoulder, and she looked at her now green shoulder in shock.

"Wufei can be hit any amount of time, however you, Relena, can not be hit once." Trowa stood leaning against a tree, his gun resting against his shoulder. "If you're hit, Relena, you lose, and our team wins," he continued.

"Trowa, did you follow me," Quatre accused, his brow knitted together. "I thought I had gone off unseen." A small smile appeared on Trowa's face as he pushed himself off the tree.

"I would make myself scarce if I were you," he spoke as he walked away. "_If_ you don't want to lead Heero and Duo here, that is. I wasn't the only one that noticed you leave." The remaining three looked off in the distance as the distinctive sound of Duo's voice bounced off the trees.

"I guess the game is starting officially now," Quatre stated. "You two shouldn't stay here for long."

"Thank you, Quatre," Relena stated as the blonde began to walk away. He turned slightly, nodding his head before he disappeared back through the bushes.

"Come on," Meilin stated, her eyes scanning the area once more. "We need to keep moving."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Ah, this is no fun," Duo complained to himself as he was walking along. "Wufei and Heero are taking this all too seriously, and Quatre even went as far as to tell..." He stopped, resting his gun against his shoulder as he looked around. He caught movement from the corner of his eye, and in one quick motion, he had his gun poised, ready to shoot.

"It's just me, Duo."

"Ah, Trowa," Duo replied, relaxing. "Man, you shouldn't sneak around like that."

"Any luck finding anyone," Trowa asked.

"None. What about you," Duo replied. He noticed a small smile appear on Trowa's face, and he sighed. "Don't tell me the game is over already!"

"No, but I did run into Wufei and Relena," Trowa stated.

"I know," Duo retorted. "I ran into Quatre, and he told me all about what happened. I'm glad you had the sense enough not to shoot Relena. I know a certain someone who would have, ruining all the fun."

"Those two seem to be getting along better than I thought they would, though Wufei seems a little distracted ... Nervous, almost," Trowa said thoughtfully. The two turned as a noise was heard, though nothing was there.

"Well, this certainly seems to be to our disadvantage," Duo mused as his eyes continued to search for the source of the noise.

"It is proving difficult to find Wufei in this terrain," Trowa agreed.

"At least it's more fun than a game of chess. That much, I'm sure even you agree to," Duo boasted, allowing his voice to trail as he turned to see Trowa no longer standing there. "...right? Hmph, nice talking to you, too," he mumbled indignantly. He began walking again, and as he passed underneath a tree, something fell down and hit him on the top of his head. "What in the ..." He looked up and smiled as he saw Relena sitting in the tree.

"Duo," she exclaimed, releasing the breath she had been holding.

"Well, well, what do we have here," Duo asked, putting a hand on his hip. "Did Wu-man tell you to stay put or something?" She meekly nodded her head, causing him to laugh.

"You won't shoot me, will you Duo," she pleaded. "We can just pretend you never saw me."

"I don't know," he replied, rubbing his chin in mock consideration. "You have been pretty lucky, so far. But now you've run into me, and your luck may just be out." He raised the paint gun, aiming it towards her. "I think orange is your color."

"And purple is yours." Duo spun around towards the voice, however it was too late for him to dodge, as he was hit by the paintballs. Duo watched in wide-eyed shock as _'Wufei'_ stepped out from behind a tree, covered in an array of colors. "Looks like you're out too, Maxwell," Meilin stated triumphantly.

"Where did you ... Damn! This is what happens when I let my guard down," Duo stated. He looked up towards Relena and smirked. "That was pretty sneaky."

"It's not her fault you fell for such an obvious trap," Meilin stated walking over to stand next to Duo underneath the tree. Duo clutched at his chest.

"I don't think my heart can take too much more shock from the things you say, Wufei," he stated with a laugh. Meilin stared at him, and then smirked.

"Well, you might as well join Quatre," she stated, before turning her attention up towards Relena.

"I see you ran into him, as well," Duo said, noticing the splotches of yellow on Meilin's arm. "He's the one you got out?"

"Yes," Relena answered. She swung her legs over the branch, so they were both facing one direction.

"You did, Relena," Duo asked in surprise.

"Well, not me," she replied, resting her elbows on her knees. "Wufei got him out. All the shots I fired were missing." Duo uttered a whistle, and she raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You're answering for each other," he stated. "Just how close have you two gotten over such a short amount of time?" Relena blushed slightly, and Meilin scowled.

"Shut up, Maxwell," she growled.

"Wufei, how am I supposed to get down," Relena asked, slipping as she tried to figure a way out of the tree.

"I'll catch you as you slide down," Meilin answered, a slight coloring appearing on her cheeks as she heard Duo snickering. As she turned to yell at him, green paint splattered against the tree trunk behind her. "Trowa," she exclaimed.

"Wufei," Relena started hesitantly, pulling her legs up to her chest.

"Just stay put and be quiet," Meilin replied, trying to avoid looking towards her hiding spot. Relena remained silent, and Meilin held the paint gun firmly in her hands. _"Okay, where are you, Trowa,"_ she wondered silently. Her eyes scanned the area, and caught movement ahead of her. _"There!"_ She let out a spray of shots, however the figure dodged them. As the person stepped into the lighted area, she cursed inwardly.

"Heero, welcome to the party," Duo exclaimed as the Wing pilot, followed by Quatre, came into view. "Oh, and you too, Quatre. Wu-man got me out, too."

_"It's Heero as well,"_ Meilin thought inwardly as she noticed blue paint coloring the clearing. She frantically reloaded the paint cartridges as her eyes scanned for Trowa. _"Where is he?"_ With the reloading done, she shot off some more paint towards Heero, who easily dodged.

"Behind you, Wufei," Relena warned, giving away her position. Meilin spun around, tagging Trowa with a paintball, and as she turned back around, Heero was already taking aim at Relena. She took aim at Heero, and squeezed the trigger. Nothing.

"I'm out again," she almost screeched, realizing she has wasted most of her shots at Heero before. She searched quickly for another paint cartridge, however couldn't find one.

"Looks like we win," Duo smirked, leaning against the tree. He glanced over at Heero, and his jaw dropped open. "No ... way ..." The tip of Heero's hair was tinted with color, however in the middle of his chest, a large, purple spot was plastered. The pilots looked towards Relena, who was climbing down from the tree. She missed a step, and fell down onto her posterior. She stood quickly, going to Meilin's side.

"We did it, Wufei," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Meilin's neck. "We won!" She released her grasp and smiled. "I can't believe I actually hit Heero." Meilin looked over at Heero, and then towards Relena, fighting down the urge to celebrate as the other girl was doing.

"So we did," Meilin answered as calmly as she could manage. She turned towards Duo, and as she was about to speak, he shot a paintball at her. "Maxwell …"

"Just because you won doesn't mean I can't do that," Duo interrupted. Meilin raised a challenging eyebrow, and as she brought up her gun, she was hit in the back.

"Oh, Wufei, I'm sorry," Relena apologized. "I was trying to get Duo, honest!" Meilin's brow twitched, and then she started laughing. She raised her gun, aiming for Relena, and as she shot, the girl ducked, and Heero got hit instead. Soon, they all had their paint guns raised, and a fight broke out.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Later that evening, the six paint-covered teenagers returned to the Dorlian-Peacecraft residence. Each were either smiling or laughing, as Relena let them all into the house.

"I haven't had this much fun in so long," she stated with a smile. "Thank you all so much."

"Didn't I say we'd have fun," Duo asked with an amused look on his face. "And I always deliver on my word." They all turned as Pagean entered the foyer.

"Ms. Relena," he stated, raising an eyebrow at their appearance. "There is a letter that came for Mr. Chang today. I just delivered it to the guesthouse. Should I go and retrieve it?"

"No, Pagean, thank you," Relena replied. She turned to the pilots and smiled. "Let me go and change, and we'll go over to the guesthouse."

"Sure, Relena," Duo answered for them all as she climbed the stairs.

_"Finally, Sensei has sent word,"_ Meilin thought, a serious expression settling on her face. A few minutes later, Relena came down the stairs, traces of paint still in her hair.

"Pagean, please have dinner sent over," she instructed.

"Of course, Ms. Relena," he replied as they left the house. They made the short trip to the guesthouse, and entered. Turning on the light in the main room, Meilin saw the envelope on the coffee table. She walked over and picked it up, ripping it open.

"What," she whispered as she read the short note. The others watched silently, a confused look on each of their faces at the expression on Meilin's face.

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To Be Continued . . .

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I didn't intend on making this entire part about their "day out together" but as I was writing, I thought it was a good idea and kept with it. ^_^ I know the pilots were a little OOC at the end, but even they can have fun, right? Of course they can!

As always, please leave those reviews!


	7. Heart of the Dragon, 07

HotD07

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic. The idea, however, is mine.

AN - I don't want to lose my ongoing momentum for this fanfic, so, here's another part! A little towards the end, Meilin will be remembering something, and those memories will be in _italics_. Enjoy!

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Heart of the Dragon

Part 7

"Wufei, what is it?" Relena's question fell upon deaf ears as Meilin reread the letter in her hand.

_"Sensei,"_ Meilin thought inwardly, frowning slightly. _"What does this mean?"_ She read the note again and again, not believing what was written.

_Meilin ... Forget the mission. All is now resolved. You must return to your clan and your colony at once. All will be explained when I have the chance to talk with you again._

She balled the letter up in her hand, and looked around the room at the pilots. _"No, something isn't right,"_ she thought inwardly. _"How can he expect me to forget about Wufei? Something must be wrong."_ Her eyes narrowed in determination as a plan formulated in her mind.

"Wufei," Relena stated hesitantly. Meilin shook her head, and she focused on a spot on the wall.

"What is it," Heero all but demanded, a frown settling on his own features.

"There has been trouble," Meilin stated slowly, forming the words carefully in her mind. "Master O is in trouble. His life, I fear, is in danger." With that simple statement, the mood in the room shifted dramatically to one of indifference.

"So," Heero stated, crossing his arms.

Duo scoffed. "Let him die," he stated darkly. "After he and the others helped OZ create those suits, their place is in death anyway."

"What," Meilin asked, blinking. Her mind screamed as she felt the situation go from bad to worse. _"They won't help? Why?"_ The latter question posed itself out loud as she clenched her fist shut.

"He's gotten himself into trouble, and now he can get out of it himself as well," Trowa replied. "We owe him nothing."

Something akin to rage had been building up inside of Meilin during the course of the conversation. The pressure peaked, and she exploded. "But you owe _me_ something," she exclaimed angrily. "You all know I'm not one to ask for help, but where is the honor in shying away when one of us is in need?"

"Wufei, where is this coming from," Quatre asked. "We all came to a decision about this already, long ago. We won't fight unless it's necessary. I'm sorry to say, but this is not a necessity."

Meilin remained silent as images of what could possibly be happening to Wufei and her sensei ran through her mind. She fought back the tears as her throat constricted. "Then I was a fool to agree to such terms," she stated in a low, dangerous voice. "A weak, foolish person."

"Wufei," Relena stated, placing a hand on Meilin's shoulder. She looked up at Relena, then to her hand, and pulled away from the girl's touch.

"I understand now," Meilin stated, her voice raising slightly. "You'd all rather stay here, in this mock environment of peace," she exclaimed, gesturing with a wide sweep of her arm. "Hear this! No place on Earth or in the colonies is safe."

"Wufei, don't," Quatre pleaded.

"Don't what," Meilin demanded. "You don't want me to say how I mistook your hatred towards my Sensei for your cowardice? Have you all gotten so used to _peace_ that you won't fight again!"

"Shut your mouth, Wufei," Duo growled. "Those scientists did nothing but endanger our mission!" Meilin's eyes widened slightly as what Duo said triggered something Wufei had once told her.

_" …they would have used you against me; thus endangering my mission…"_

"Fine," Meilin stated finally, shaking with silent anger. "If you would rather run from your fears, then so be it. You can stay here, and become weak. Just like your pampered princess." She gasped in pain as Heero's fist connected with her jaw, sending her painfully to the ground.

"Heero," Relena exclaimed in alarm.

"You talk about weaknesses Wufei," he stated, glaring down at her and ignoring Relena. "You're the one who ran in the first place." An unreadable expression crossed his face as he studied her, right before he turned away.

"I see," Meilin stated quietly, taking a shaky breath as she got back up to her feet. She gingerly touched her sore jaw, and bowed her head. _"I understand, now, why he left,"_ she spoke in Chinese, drawing a strange look from Quatre. _"He didn't think you cared for him, and it seems as if he was right."_

"What did you say," Heero demanded, turning quickly back towards Meilin.

"Simply that I understand and respect your decision," she answered. She straightened her posture, and with as much dignity as she could muster, turned on her heel and left the room. The soft click of a door was heard as she retreated to her bedroom.

_"Wufei,"_ Quatre thought to himself, recalling his lessons in Chinese. _"That's not what you said ... What's going on, here?"_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

As the door closed behind her, Meilin slid down to the ground, and the tears she had been holding back fell freely. She touched her bruised jaw, and winced. "Damn, that hurt like hell," she stated softly with a bitter laugh. She leaned her head against the door, and closed her eyes.

_"So ... Let him die ... We owe him nothing ..."_ As the pilot's words tumbled through her mind, Meilin's eyes snapped open again. A bombardment of questions plagued her mind. Were they truly talking about her sensei? Or were they talking about Wufei? Those words could have just as easily been directed towards him! Perhaps they knew she was an impostor, and for some bizarre reason, they had let her live.

"I must find out," she stated with determination. Standing up, she pulled off the shirt she wore, which was stiff from the dried paint. She walked towards her bed, and dropped down to her knees. Reaching underneath the bed, she took out her laptop and opened it, placing it on the bed. Typing a series of buttons, a dial tone finally sounded. As she waited patiently for it to connect, she pulled her hair from its' ponytail, and pulled the voice mechanism from her throat. She stared at the screen, when a face appeared.

"Why are you there still," Master O demanded, his voice hushed.

"Sensei," Meilin began.

"Your voice." He paused. "Ah, I see. You're on your way back to your colony," he asked. "I'm glad that you ..."

"No, Sensei, it's the opposite," she interrupted. "I got your letter. You must be in some sort of danger, to tell me to forget the mission." Her eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

"I can't talk right now," he stated, a displeased expression on his face. "Just know everything is fine. You must return to your colony at once."

"I asked the others for help," she continued, as if not hearing what he had just said. "And they'd rather see you die, than to help. I don't understand the reasons why. But I'll come and save you - both you and Wufei.

_"We won't fight unless it's necessary. I'm sorry to say, but this is not a necessity."_ As Quatre's words repeated in her mind, her eyes narrowed.

"I don't need them. Any of them," she declared venomously. "I won't let you down, Sensei."

"You foolish girl," Master O exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. She reeled back from his words, as if she had been struck physically. "It was a mistake to get you involved. You're in way over your head." He looked to the side, and then back at the screen. "Don't come back here. Go home."

"Sensei," she cried out as the screen went blank. "Sensei, wait." She slowly closed the laptop, and sat numbly. Her hopelessness finally consumed her as she lowered her head to her hands and began to cry. "Why Sensei," she cried out in anguish. "Why have you abandoned me too?"

In her state of sorrow, she never heard as her door opened softly and closed. As a hand rested on her shoulder, she stiffened. She turned around, to see Quatre standing behind her. She watched silently as he knelt down next to her.

"What's the matter," he asked, worry etched on his features. "Tell me what's really going on, Wufei." Not knowing what else to do, Meilin lunged forward, clutching to his shirt and burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry," she cried, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry." Confusion spread over his face, however as she cried on his shoulder, Quatre wrapped his arms around her, comforting her.

"It will be okay," he murmured. "It will be okay."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Midnight found Meilin sitting in the hangar where the Gundams rested. She sat at the foot of Shenlong, her mind wandering over the events that had occurred in such a short time that night. She had spoken at length with Quatre when he found her in her room …

_"Wufei, tell me what's wrong," Quatre pleaded as her sobs subsided. "I've never seen you like this before, and it ... it scares me. I'm not even sure if you are Wufei. Not after what I heard you say, or at least what I thought you said."_

Meilin smiled a wan smile. "Who'd have thought he knew Chinese," she stated softly, to herself. "His profile never even hinted to that. I gave myself away." Her smile gave way, as she sighed heavily …

_"M-my name isn't Wufei," she murmured, still talking into his shoulder. She pulled away from him, and dared to look up into his face. "My name is Ling Meilin, of the Yuan Clan."_

And so from then, she had told him everything, and he had listened willingly. She told him of how she and Wufei had grown up together for many years, under the guidance of Master O, until the day they were separated from each other and their sensei. She told him how worried she had been for him when the war between the Earth and the colonies broke out, and of how relieved she was the day she saw him again. She explained how much Wufei meant to her, and that she would do anything in the world for him. And finally, she told him what, exactly, brought her to impersonate him …

_"He's been captured by Oz," Quatre asked, his face paling as his eyes grew wide. "How?"_

"I don't know," Meilin replied. "Wufei left the compound because of an argument he and Master O had." She laughed bitterly. "It was because of me, that they were arguing. I never told Master O that I knew what they were arguing about."

"It's not your fault they were arguing," Quatre stated, sensing that she blamed herself.

"But you see, it is," she stated. "If I had just stayed with my clan, then Wufei wouldn't have been caught, because the argument would never have ensued between the two. I have so much weighted against me." Her eyes began to water against her will once again. "And now with the arrival of that letter, things look to be getting worse. I wasn't lying when I said Master O was in trouble. I truly believe his life is in danger." She looked at him, her eyes searching his face, and she detected the faintest of smiles.

"I believe you, Meilin, and we'll figure out something," he said. A worried expression suddenly spread over her face, and his smile broadened, reaching his eyes. "Don't worry. I won't reveal what I know to the others."

"Thank you, Quatre," she sighed in relief.

Soon afterwards, Quatre said his goodnight to her and left her room. She went to the bathroom to take a shower, washing away the paint and, she hoped, her anxieties. After getting dressed and putting the voice mechanism back into place, she had gone to the hangar.

"Hey, I thought I'd find you out here," Duo stated softly, stepping out from the shadows. He walked over towards her, and looked up at the Gundam. She sat quietly, sensing when his gaze turned down towards her.

"What is it," she prompted, never looking up.

"Wufei," he began. "I don't know what's going on, but something definitely isn't right. What went wrong today? Why were you acting like that earlier?"

"I don't know," she replied, her eyes still on the ground. "I don't know what got into me." She paused and added quietly, "I feel as if I'm losing my whole world right now." Her last statement had not been intended to reach Duo, but he heard nonetheless.

"Damn it, Wufei," Duo exclaimed. "Did Heero hit you so hard, that you don't know how to act like yourself anymore!"

"I don't know, Duo. I truly don't know," she said quietly, eyes still on the ground. She winced as the dull pain in her jaw returned, reminding her the price of Heero's hurt pride.

"This isn't like you at all." Duo sighed, scratching the back of his head. "You know, I ran into Quatre as he was leaving your room," he stated, more to himself than to her. At this, Meilin looked over at him.

"What did he say," she asked.

Duo heard the panic in her voice, and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so I finally got a reaction from you," he mused.

"Maxwell," she said through clenched teeth.

"He didn't say anything, really," Duo said finally, leaning against Shenlong. "Just that we all should reconsider going to help you." He frowned, pushing himself away from the Gundam. "After that, he headed back towards the living room; to talk to the others, most likely. What did you two talk about, anyway?"

"It's not important," she stated, her face becoming emotionless once again. "And even so, what we talked about is none of your business."

"It's good to see you back to your old self again, Wufei," Duo stated with a chuckle, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you and Quatre talked about worked miracles."

"Yeah, a miracle," she repeated softly. She watched as Duo waved and made his way back into the shadows. He stopped, turning back towards her.

"This probably won't mean much to you," he stated, "and you'll probably think I'm weak for saying it. But if it's any consolation for you at all, I want you to know that I would go to fight again. Not to help him, but for you."

Meilin gave him a half smile. "It does mean something to me, Duo," she stated. "And you are pretty weak for saying it." He smiled, and then disappeared into the shadows.

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To Be Continued . . .

****

I'm evil, ne? ^_^ So, will the pilots help, or not? Hopefully, the flashbacks went smoothly between when Meilin was thinking and remembering. And now you even know a little more about her and Wufei's relationship. Please review!


	8. Heart of the Dragon, 08

HotD08

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

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Heart of the Dragon

Part 8

Meilin spent the next day preparing for her departure, and avoiding the pilots. Not surprisingly, Quatre had offered to help her prepare the Shenlong for the trip back into space. After checking the diagnostics and refueling the Gundam, it was loaded onto the truck to be taken to the transport shuttle, where Quatre's Gundam already was.

When it was almost time for her to leave, Meilin was in her room, gathering all of her belongings - which wasn't much. She carefully packed her laptop into the duffel bag, along with some articles of clothing. Giving the room a once-over, she turned towards the door as a knock sounded. "Quatre," she said upon opening the door. She stepped aside. "Come in."

"That's alright," he replied politely. "Everything is ready for when you want to leave." Meilin nodded and then sighed. She poked her head out the door, looking left and right. Good. The coast was clear.

"Quatre, please, come in for a minute," she requested. He looked down the hallway both ways, and stepped into her room, eyes averted towards the ground. She watched him with a puzzled look on her face, and then shut the door, leaning against it.

"Did you need to speak with me about something," he asked.

"You can just relax," she stated, realizing the reason behind his hesitation. "I am just one of the guys, after all." He looked up at her and blushed slightly, however said nothing. "That's better," she mumbled, turning to the closet.

"We should hurry," Quatre said. "Rashid and Abdul are waiting outside in the truck."

"Quatre," Meilin began, turning from the closet, sliding on a jacket. "You don't have to go along with me."

"Meilin," he stated.

"Please, don't call me by that name," she exclaimed. "Not until Wufei is safe. I don't want to lose my focus."

"Of course," Quatre replied. As she was about to speak, he stepped forward. "You seem like the kind of person who doesn't ask for help. You're so much like Wufei; so just let me say this. I'm going because this is now as much my responsibility as it is yours, especially since OZ is involved." Meilin shrugged.

"As you wish," she stated. "I just don't want you to feel as if I'm forcing you to go. I'm not weak, you know."

"Of course not," he said earnestly. "Please know that I don't feel that way at all!" She smiled and grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Let's go, then," she suggested. Quatre opened the door, holding it open for her. She shook her head, amused, and then led the way down the hall towards the front door. It was eerily quiet. _"Where is everyone,"_ she thought briefly before shaking it off. The two made their way to the truck, and stopped as a voice called out to them.

"Wufei, Quatre, wait," Relena exclaimed, running towards them. Meilin sighed and turned in her direction.

"What do you want," Meilin demanded. She resisted the urge to scream as the girl wore a conflicted expression on her face. "You can't change my mind, I going to do this. So don't waste your breath trying to convince me otherwise."

"I know, Wufei," Relena replied. "I just wanted to wish you luck; to both of you. Please, be careful." Meilin glared reflexively, biting back the snide remark she was going to make.

"Thank you, Ms. Relena," Quatre began. "We'll be just ..."

"Let's _go_," Meilin interrupted. "We don't have time for this." She looked at Relena pointedly and then turned on her heel, heading towards the truck, where Rashid was waiting patiently.

"Ms. Relena, Mei… Wufei just has a lot on his mind," Quatre stated. "I assure you we'll be careful." She nodded her head in silent acknowledgement and watched as Quatre walked towards the truck. Rashid stepped forward.

"Master Quatre, we're ready to leave whenever you are," he stated.

"Yes, let's go, then," Quatre replied. Meilin climbed into the truck, sitting next to Abdul, and Quatre climbed in next, followed by Rashid.

"Good luck, then," Relena called out as Rashid started the truck. She watched as the truck pulled away from the house, only turning to go back inside once it disappeared through the gates.

"So Master Quatre," Abdul began, looking at the two teenagers with his sunglasses resting on his nose. "This is the young lady you were telling us about? From what you've told us about him, she certainly pulls off Wufei well."

Meilin turned towards Quatre with a shocked look on her face. "You told them," she exclaimed. "Why would you do that!"

"If I expect my Magnuacs to risk their lives for me, I must tell them the entire truth," Quatre replied. "You have my word that I didn't tell anyone else about you, nor did my men."

"I believe you, Quatre," Meilin stated, a tiny smile on her face. "I wouldn't expect anyone to risk their lives for me based on a lie either."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"This is where we'll be launching from Master Quatre," Rashid stated, pulling the truck up beside the awaiting shuttle. He opened the door and Quatre climbed out after him while Meilin jumped out of the truck after Abdul.

"Where are Auda and Afmahd," Quatre asked, looking around.

"We're here, Master Quatre," Afmahd yelled as the two men ran towards the truck.

"Why don't the two of you prepare for the launch," Auda suggested. "We'll handle the Gundam."

"With the utmost care of course, Mr. Chang," Abdul added with a wink. Meilin nodded, and she and Quatre headed towards the shuttle elevator.

"What plan of action are we going to take," Quatre asked as the two entered the shuttle. They walked inside, and Meilin set her bag down. She went to the console and began typing.

"This is where they are," she stated as a map of a compound popped up. "Consequently, this is also where Nataku was built. I know the place back to front, so it shouldn't be too hard to sneak in and out undetected."

"But how many men are there, and where are they stationed," a voice asked from the door. Meilin and Quatre turned towards the sound of the voice and Trowa stepped forward, followed by Duo and Heero.

"Trowa, Heero, Duo," Quatre exclaimed. "What are you all doing here?"

"We couldn't let the two of you have all the fun," Duo stated with a smirk. "It would give the three of us a bad reputation if word got out that only two of the five Gundam pilots went to check out a rumor about OZ still being up and about."

"I don't believe this," Meilin mumbled, turning to give Quatre an accusing stare.

"So, it's true that OZ may be involved after all," Trowa stated, catching the glare Meilin sent towards Quatre. "Why didn't you give us this information, Wufei?"

"Why should it have mattered at all," Meilin demanded.

"Don't be a fool, Wufei," Heero stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course it matters that OZ may be involved. For all we know, all of the scientists may still be alive, and they could be using them to build mobile suits for them. So answer Trowa's question. How many are there?"

"I don't know," Meilin conceded. "All I know is the location."

"So we're going into this blind, huh," Duo asked, zipping up the space suit he wore. "That means the odds may be against us." He smiled, tossing suits to the others. "Just the way I like it!"

"We have our Gundams, so we do have a trump card," Heero stated as he and the others put on their suits. "In a worse case scenario, we'll just destroy the entire compound."

"It won't have to come to that," Meilin stated darkly, shrugging off her jacket. She grabbed her suit and Quatre grew pale.

"Trowa, Heero, Duo," he nearly shouted, turning quickly towards them. "We should see if Rashid needs any help with our Gundams." He ushered them towards the door, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder towards Meilin.

"Sure Quatre," she heard Duo state. "You're very jumpy about something. Don't worry, this mission with go without a hitch."

Meilin sighed as she put her suit on. _"You have to stay calm, Quatre,"_ she thought. _"Or else you're going to ruin everything."_ The four pilots returned a few minutes later, the Magnuacs in tow.

"We're ready to launch, Wufei," Quatre stated. She nodded, and everyone took a seat. As they launched into the air, Meilin gave a silent prayer.

Once they were safely in orbit, Rashid addressed the pilots. "Once we're in close proximity of the colony, you five can take your Gundams from there," he began. "After it's clear that you do not need any further back up, we will then return to Earth, as Master Quatre has instructed."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Duo stated, lacing his hands behind his head. "This'll be just like old times, eh Wu-man?" Meilin remained silent; not even acknowledging she had been spoken to.

_"Don't worry, Wufei,"_ she thought. _"We're coming for you."_

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After heading towards the L5 cluster, the pilots hid their Gundams a safe distance from the compound, shedding their spacesuits for better movement. They stealthily made their way across the compound grounds, staying hidden in the shadows. They stayed crouched in the underbrush, following Meilin to a hidden entrance.

"I don't like this at all," Heero stated. "We haven't seen a single person yet." He looked over towards Meilin, his eyes narrowed. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"They couldn't be anywhere else," she retorted, annoyed. "It's not too late for you to go back."

"Will you two stop already," Duo said in a hushed voice. "While you two are arguing, someone might hear us. I thought we were trying to keep the element of surprise."

"We are, Duo," Meilin sighed, rubbing her temples. "Just, listen. I think we should all split up. I showed you the layout to the compound back on the shuttle, so we should all meet up in the main chamber. You got that?"

"That's not a good idea," Quatre exclaimed. "We don't know how many OZ soldiers are in there. And if any one of us are caught, they could alert the others."

"I agree with Wufei's plan," Trowa remarked. "We would just have to be careful, and knock out any soldiers we encounter."

"I don't like the plan at all," Quatre stated. "It could just be a trap."

"We're not going to get anything done arguing," Meilin exclaimed. "The three of you go your separate ways, while Winner and I comb the compound together. There are only four corridors from this entrance anyway, so it's the best plan. We'll take the main corridor."

"If I find Doctor O first, I'll have no choice but to eliminate him," Heero stated, checking his gun.

"Just try to do it without alerting the entire place, Heero," Duo stated. He gave a short wave, and disappeared inside the building. Heero and Trowa soon followed after.

"What was that all about, Quatre," Meilin demanded as soon as she was sure the others were out of hearing range. "You almost blew it!"

"I couldn't let you go in there by yourself," Quatre replied. "Besides, OZ soldiers are highly-trained, and despite the training you've had, you'd be no match."

"I can fend for myself," Meilin stated indignantly.

"You know I'm right," Quatre pressed. Meilin sighed.

"I know," she stated. "And I'm glad you're here. Let's just go and find Wufei and Master O." Quatre nodded in agreement, and the two entered the compound, heading down the main corridor.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Meanwhile, inside of the compound, Wufei sat silently by himself. The sounds of footsteps outside of his door were sporadic, as he had gotten used to the sound. So he paid no mind when the shuffling of feet was heard again. That was, however, until the door opened and closed. He turned to see who had entered the room, and gasped.

"Wufei, good, I found you," Quatre exclaimed. He opened the door again, motioning for someone else to come into the room.

"Quatre," Wufei asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you, of course." Wufei looked up again, narrowing his eyes as he studied the figure in front of him. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he recognized who it was.

"Meilin," he exclaimed. Anger quickly replaced the surprised look. He stepped forward, standing in front of her. As he looked down at her, his features softened slightly. "What happened to your face," he asked, noticing the bruise. He brought his hand up, brushing his fingertips past the swollen area lightly before tilting her face up to get a better look.

"It's a long story," she replied. "It doesn't matter right now. I'm glad to see you're doing fine. I was worried."

"What are you doing here, Meilin," he asked, angry once again. "Didn't you get Master O's letter? You were supposed to have returned to your colony!" He looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time. "And why do you look and sound like me? What's going on?"

"I should be asking the same thing," she retorted. She pulled off the voice mechanism from her throat. "This device is why I sound like you, Wufei. And as for the reason why I look like you, it was all part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan," Wufei demanded. Quatre looked between the two, a confused expression on his own face. As Meilin was about to speak, Wufei silenced her. "It doesn't matter right now. I need to get you out of here right away."

"Wufei," Meilin exclaimed as he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her behind him. As he left the room, Quatre quickly followed.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on," the blonde asked.

"I can't give you explanations to questions I don't know the answers to," Wufei remarked. He stopped for a brief second, before pulling Meilin behind him once again.

"Wufei, would you slow down," she exclaimed. "Why are we in such a hurry?" As the three rounded a corner, they collided with another figure.

"Sensei," Meilin exclaimed once she got her bearings. Master O looked at her, surprise etched on his features.

"Meilin," he began, shaking his head. "I told you not to return here."

"What's going on, Sensei," she asked, confused.

"Bring her this way, Wufei," the scientist stated, ignoring her question. Wufei nodded silently, grabbing her arm once again. As they began to follow Master O, Meilin pulled out of Wufei's grip.

_"No,"_ she exclaimed in Chinese. _"No more lies. You seem to be the one with the answers, Sensei. Why are you and Wufei trying to get me out of here? Why are you walking around as if you're not prisoners at all? Please, explain it to me!"_ As she finished her tirade, a voice spoke from behind.

"It is you, who has some explaining to do, Ling Meilin," a woman spoke. Meilin stiffened at those words, slowly turning around.

"Madame Yuan," she whispered, suddenly understanding why Wufei and her sensei were trying to get her to leave. "I ... I ..."

"Silence," the older woman exclaimed harshly. Meilin immediately became quiet, bowing her head. The woman wore robes symbolizing her status as head of her clan, and she held herself with an air of authority. She came to stand next to Meilin, peering down at her. "Of all my students, I didn't think that you would be the one to disrespect me in this way." She walked past the girl slowly, deliberately. "Come this way, Ling Meilin."

_"Yes, of course Madame Yuan,"_ she spoke quietly in Chinese.

"Oh Meilin," Master O stated sadly. He motioned towards Wufei and Quatre, and they, too, followed the headmistress.

__

To Be Continued . . .

****

AN - The Magnuac (Corp.) is the name of Quatre's group of men, correct? I wasn't sure of what it was, so that's what I used. Correct me if I'm wrong. ^_^ Rashid, Abdul, Afmahd, and Auda are all names of the men in the troupe. We all know who Rashid is, and I believe Abdul is the guy with the sunglasses. Your guess is as good as mine as to who Afmahd and Auda are.

__

Please review!


	9. 

HotD09

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

__

Heart of the Dragon

Part 9

Unknowingly, Duo, Heero, and Trowa ran down their corridors, their paces in sync as they made their way down the long halls. As they neared the end, they met up, though none were really surprised.

"Have you run into anyone," Heero asked, his eyes scanning around the perimeter.

"Not one person," Duo replied, a look of both confusion and annoyance expressed on his face. Trowa shook his head in response. "Just what in the hell is going on here?"

"I have a feeling," Trowa began, "that something more is going on than we know about. We need to find Wufei and Quatre."

"That would be the best plan of action," Heero agreed. The three silently made their way down the adjoining corridor that met at the end of the three corridors they had come out from.

"Man," Duo mused. "If only all of our missions had been this simple." He gave a short laugh, and then the smile disappeared from his face. "Have I been the only one to notice something ... off about Wufei?"

"I've noticed it, too," Heero stated. "From the moment he returned. I shouldn't have brushed it off so easily."

"Is Heero Yuy actually admitting to a possible error in judgement," Duo exclaimed with feigned shock. Heero ignored him, and as the trio made it to the end of the corridor, he stopped abruptly. As Duo was about to speak, he held up a hand to silence him. They pushed back into the shadows as two figures came into view - two girls. They were wearing white, silk kung-fu jackets and matching pants. The end of the three-quarter sleeves and the bottom of the jacket were lined with dark trimming, and the kanji representing their clan was in a circle on the front of the jacket.

"I heard that Meilin is back," the first girl stated. "But she's been gone for so many weeks, it's hard to believe she has the nerve to come back at all."

"It's true, Suhao, she's back" the second girl replied in a hushed voice. "And she's going to be in so much trouble."

"Aili, you shouldn't say that," Suhao exclaimed. "Madame Yuan may go easy on her."

"Not likely," Aili replied. "Not only did she leave the colony without permission, but she left because she heard her old sensei had returned here."

"That scientist," Suhao asked in awe, raising her voice slightly.

"Hush, not so loudly," Aili exclaimed. "If Chon finds us gossiping, he'll be furious and we'll be punished, too." Suhao gasped. "Besides, we'd better hurry to Madame." Picking up the pace slightly, their voices faded as they walked further away, and the three pilots stepped out from their hiding spot.

"What do you think that was about," Duo asked. "Who's this Meilin and Madame Yuan?" He paused, a realization hitting him. "Could the scientist they mentioned be Doctor O?"

"We'll find out," Heero stated, already walking in the direction the two girls had gone. Duo and Trowa quickly followed him.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Meilin sat kneeling on the ground, eyes downcast before Madame Yuan. The mistress of the Yuan clan paced slightly in front of the girl. The woman looked up as two girls entered the room.

"Suhao, Aili," Madame Yuan said. "What took the two of you so long to return here?"

"Forgive us, Madame Yuan," Suhao spoke for them both. "We came here as quickly as we could."

"Very well, then," the woman stated. "You will remain here. It's good I brought you along, after all."

As the woman spoke to the two girls, Meilin glanced over towards the wall, where the others were standing. Quatre had a look of worry on his face and Doctor O had a look of conflict on his. Her gaze shifted over towards Wufei, and their eyes locked. A frown was on his face, however his eyes betrayed that he, too, was worried. He tilted his head up slightly, and Meilin quickly turned back around towards Madame Yuan just as the woman turned back towards her.

"Now then, Ling Meilin," Madame Yuan began. "Stand." Meilin quickly complied, standing with her arms to her side, and back straight. "Explain your actions."

"Yuan-sensei," Meilin began, collecting her thoughts. "I left the clan upon hearing that Doctor O had returned here. You know of my past relationship with him."

_"Do not patronize me,"_ the woman stated dangerously, conversing in Chinese. _"You walk on thin ice as it is."_

"I was only-" A resounding smack was heard as Meilin's sentence was cut off. She fought the urge to bring her hand up to her stinging face, as the pain lingered there.

"Continue," Madame Yuan stated.

"I did not leave the colony in an attempt to run away," Meilin continued. "I had found out that Doctor O had returned, and I went to him without thinking of the consequences. And then someone close to me was in trouble, and I had to help him. As it is the code we live by." The woman glared daggers, and then slowly circled around the girl.

"You have brought great dishonor to your clan, and yourself, Meilin," Madame Yuan said. "Look at your appearance. This is not how I have taught you to conduct yourself. Your punishment shall be a severe one."

"Looks like you've started the party without us, lady," a voice said from the doorway, as a click of a gun was heard. Madame Yuan turned towards the voice, and saw three boys, each with a gun raised in her direction.

"You three should leave," Meilin stated, forgetting she didn't have the voice mechanism on her throat. "This doesn't concern you." Madame Yuan shot her a look, and she grew quiet.

"Listen, you guys," Quatre stated. "This has nothing to do with us." Duo glanced over in Quatre's direction, and did a double take. He looked at Wufei, who stood next to Quatre, and then to _*Wufei*_ who stood next to Madame Yuan.

"The hell," he exclaimed, cocking his gun. "What's going on here," he demanded angrily. "Someone had better give me an answer, and quick."

"Duo, settle down," Quatre exclaimed. "There's more going on here, than you realize."

"Just be quiet, Maxwell," Wufei stated. "Take Quatre's advice, and just leave. You go too, Quatre."

"If you're Wufei, then who is this," Heero asked, training his gun on Meilin.

"Perhaps it is time I do some explaining," Doctor O stated, speaking for the first time.

"That might be a good idea," Duo remarked darkly. Doctor O walked over to where Meilin and Madame Yuan were standing.

"This is Ling Meilin," he began. "She and Wufei were both students of mine during the same time, up until they were separated from me. She went to join the Yuan Clan and Wufei joined the Long Clan."

"Nice history lesson, old man, but what does this have to do with anything," Duo asked sarcastically. "Get to the point!"

"Why does she look like Wufei, doctor," Trowa added.

"Perhaps a divine will guided me to do what I did," Doctor O reflected. "Whatever it was, once they returned here, I had one more lesson to teach them both; a life lesson for you all, if you will."

"At the expense of her honor Master," Wufei demanded. "Why didn't you send her back to her clan sooner?"

Doctor O smiled. "Because I knew you would return here after the war, and I knew she'd be the only one to help you adjust to life after it," he stated.

"This is not what we discussed at all," Wufei yelled angrily. "You said you were sending Meilin back to her clan as soon as she ran an errand for you on Earth. And when Madame Yuan showed up here, making all these claims against Meilin, I didn't know what to think! Now that I think about it, you've been avoiding me ever since Madame Yuan got here. What is going on? I want the truth, damn it!"

"I lied to you both," Doctor O stated simply. "To get you to see that your life could have meaning without war, Wufei, I lied to you both. I told you that Meilin was running an errand for me, whereas I told her that your life was in danger, and sent her to Earth to impersonate you."

Had it not been for the height difference between the two, Wufei would have punched him. However, he contained his rage by balling his fists at his sides. _"You could have gotten her killed,"_ Wufei spoke in Chinese. _"What were you thinking! You could have gotten her killed. And none of them,"_ he continued, motioning towards the pilots, _"would have had second thoughts on carrying out that action!"_

"Ah, but you see, Wufei, nothing like that happened," Doctor O pointed out. "Meilin is still very much alive, and she even brought along the other pilots. Do you see how convincing she is? Isn't it now obvious that you are not only important to her, but to the other Gundam pilots as well? That much is proven by their very presence. You all swore only to fight when it was necessary. They felt that it was necessary to help you." 

"We helped under false pretenses," Duo objected.

"But you did help nonetheless," Doctor O countered. "Because you were convinced that she was Wufei." The three pilots faltered, at a total loss for words. _He was right._ They had all had their doubts about going back to space with the intention of fighting if necessary, but they had gone. "The five of you are more important to each other than you realize," he continued. "And I think that with my actions, I have proved just that."

"Wasn't there any other way," Meilin asked, disrupting the silence that had settled in the room. She took a step closer to Doctor O. "Couldn't you have found another way, without the deception and lies, Sensei?" He smiled at her wryly.

"You already know the answer to that question, Meilin, from your experience living with the pilots," Doctor O replied. She nodded her head in understanding, and remained quiet. He looked past her, to Madame Yuan. "It was my doing from the beginning, for Meilin's actions."

"In light of all this, it changes nothing," Madame Yuan stated. "As is the code of our clan. Tell me, Meilin," she began in a slight mocking manner. "Was this worth all that trouble?"

"Of course it was," Meilin replied sharply, spinning back towards the older woman. "Chang Wufei means the world to me, and I would do anything for him! Anything! Even though we have no blood relation, he and Master O are my true family. I don't regret saying that my loyalty lies truer with them, than with this clan." She paused, squaring her shoulders and holding her head up proudly. "Regardless to the severity of my punishment, Yuan-sensei, if Wufei ever needs me again, I would be by his side in a heartbeat."

"Very well, then," Madame Yuan stated, taking notice as the girl trembled slightly with the conviction of her words. "Siu Chon and I will discuss what actions are to be taken against you." She clapped her hands together briskly and the two girls, Suhao and Aili, joined her side. "Take Meilin, and prepare her for her judgement."

"Come then, Ling Meilin," Suhao spoke softly as the girls stood at either side of Meilin. She and Aili bowed their head slightly, and then led Meilin out of the room. 

__

To Be Continued . . . 

****

This chapter was a little short, but I plan on making up for that in the next part. I also want to make it the last chapter/part of this fanfic, however I'll have to just see once I write it. We'll find out together, I suppose! ^_~


	10. Heart of the Dragon, 10

HotD10

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

__

Heart of the Dragon

Part 10

"You shouldn't have run off like that, Meilin," Aili stated, setting out the outfit the girl would have to wear for her "judgement." Meilin allowed Suhao to lead her to a chair to sit in. She glanced at the outfit Aili had laid out, and sighed.

_"This is more serious than I thought,"_ she said inwardly. She shrugged off her jacket and pulled off the shirt she wore, and heard Aili _tsk_ faintly.

"You really went all out, didn't you," Aili stated as she began pulling off the tape wrapped around Meilin's chest. "Your disguise must have been painful."

"What really possessed you to run off like that," Suhao asked, pulling Meilin's hair from the ponytail it was in.

"Is that all either of you care about," Meilin demanded, slightly annoyed. She stood up from the chair, turning towards the two girls angrily. "I know it's your duty to prepare me for my judgement, but if you're going to ask all these questions, I can do it myself."

"Meilin," Suhao began.

"Weren't either of you listening as I was explaining myself earlier," Meilin exclaimed, kicking off her shoes. She stormed over to where the outfit was laid out. She pulled off her pants, and reached for the other garment, slipping it over her head. "I don't need this right now," she continued. As she struggled with the zipper in the back, Suhao grabbed her arm gently, and led her back to the chair.

"Of course we were listening, Meilin," she replied, beginning to brush the girl's hair once again. "It's just that we're both very worried about what's going to happen."

"The three of us have been friends ever since you joined this clan," Aili added. "And you know how Chon is."

"His form of discipline is always harsher than Madame Yuan's," Suhao commented. She pulled Meilin's hair up into a bun in the middle of her head, tying it with a silk ribbon.

Meilin sighed. "I know," she stated. "But to me, everything I did was worth the risk."

"You'd better keep that thought with you then," Aili commented as she knelt in front of Meilin with a cosmetic bag. She frowned at the bruise on Meilin's jaw as she pulled make up from the bag, setting it on the floor. "Chon was furious when he learned the reason you left; that you left to help Dr. O and Chang Wufei. It was borderline rage, Meilin. Whatever your punishment will be, you'd better be careful."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I always knew those doctors were no good," Duo grumbled. He and the others stood together and he crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. "Where did Dr. O go, anyway?"

"He's standing over there, talking with Madame Yuan and Siu Chon," Trowa replied.

"Scheming some more, no doubt," Duo said disdainfully.

"Duo, you can't really blame him for any of this," Quatre stated. "We're all somewhat to blame for believing that Meilin was Wufei."

Duo arched an eyebrow. "With the way you're talking, I'd think you knew about her all along," he mused. Quatre inhaled a breath sharply as he adverted his gaze, and Duo cocked his eyebrow even further. "You knew about her," he exclaimed, smirking slightly. "For how long?"

"N-not long at all," Quatre stammered, blushing slightly. "I only found out last night, after that argument." He quickly clamped his mouth closed, and looked towards Wufei. A nervous look passed over Duo's face, and even Trowa tensed slightly as they both followed Quatre's gaze.

"So that's why you were so insistent that we go along with her," Heero said quietly, his mask of indifference in place.

Quatre looked at him incredulously. "Granted, at the time none of us knew about Meilin, but after what happened last night, and knowing what you do now, that's _all_ you can say," he asked.

"I do regret what happened, but I won't apologize for it," Heero stated. Wufei glanced over at them briefly, and then returned his gaze towards where Dr. O was standing.

"Can you believe this, Wufei," Duo asked, trying to change the direction the conversation was headed. "We all find out a girl was impersonating you, _the_ injustice of all injustices, and all these two can talk about is an argument." He chuckled, however looked towards Wufei when he didn't get any kind of response. "Wu-man, are you listening?"

Wufei stood staring intently where Dr. O was talking. When the man turned and walked angrily towards them, he took a step forward. "Sensei, what is it," Wufei asked as the doctor stopped in front of the group.

"You'll find out soon enough, Wufei," Dr. O replied. "And you won't like it any more than I do."

All eyes turned towards the door as it opened. Suhao and Aili walked through first, followed by Meilin. The two girls were still wearing their kung-fu suits, however Meilin wore a sleeveless Chinese-style dress with a black dragon adorning the back, and black slip-on shoes were on her feet. The dress reached down to her ankles, and there were slits on both sides, reaching all the way up to her thighs, allowing free movement of her legs. As the trio walked past where the pilots and Dr. O stood, Duo uttered a low, almost inaudible whistle.

"There's no denying Meilin's a girl now," he stated loud enough for the others to hear, and watching as she passed by.

"Duo," Quatre began, "you shouldn't say ..."

"Be quiet, Maxwell," Wufei interrupted fiercely. "This is no time for your jokes."

"Uh, sorry Wufei," Duo apologized, slightly taken aback by Wufei's biting tone. "What's going on?"

"I ... don't know entirely myself," Wufei admitted, turning towards the scientist. "Sensei?" Master O's brow furrowed, and he took a step towards where Meilin stood near Madame Yuan.

"I ask you to reconsider Meilin's punishment, Madame Yuan," he stated. "Her offense was not as great as her punishment implies."

"You have no say in this, Master O," she replied. "It has already been decided."

"What is her punishment," Wufei demanded, joining in on their conversation.

"She bears the black dragon, Chang Wufei," Madame Yuan replied. "The symbol of great dishonor to this clan. She must be taught respect for herself and her clan."

"She has done nothing wrong," Wufei protested. "This action is dishonorable!"

"Siu Chon," Madame Yuan stated, ignoring Wufei.

"Yes, Yuan-sensei," the Chinese young man replied.

_"It is time for you to carry out your judgement on Ling Meilin,"_ she spoke in Chinese. _"Are you prepared?"_

"Yes," he stated. "I will restore the good name of this clan, which she has soiled."

"There's no honor in this," Wufei yelled.

"Keep him in line, Master O," Madame Yuan warned, turning away from them. She walked towards a matted area of the large room, sitting near the edge of the mat.

"Would someone explain what's going on," Duo asked, his own confusion expressed on the faces of the other pilots as well. "What did that Yuan woman just say?"

"I believe that Meilin is going to fight, to regain her honor," Quatre began, watching as Meilin and Chon stepped onto the mat. "But I'm not sure."

"That's what will happen," Master O stated. "Siu Chon is second under Madame Yuan. It is his job to punish the students of the Yuan Clan when necessary, though all punishments must be approved by Madame Yuan beforehand."

"She's going to fight _him_," Duo exclaimed, bewildered. A frown appeared on his face as he studied Chon. The Chinese man had a medium, muscular build, however he looked as if he would easily overpower Meilin, who was much smaller in comparison. He was dressed similarly to what Suhao and Aili were wearing, only his outfit was black.

"There's no reason she should have to fight him," Trowa commented. "It's to my knowledge that members of a clan only have to defend their honor when they have brought dishonor upon themselves. All that she has done were acts of selflessness."

"I agree," Wufei stated, slightly balling his fists at his side. "And Siu Chon is weak for choosing this type of punishment for her." Chon looked up just then, sneering in Wufei's direction. A smirk replaced the sneer on his face, as he turned to look towards Meilin.

"You have embarrassed me, Meilin," he stated, as they both stretched, warming up their muscles. "My own authority has been undermined by you, and I won't stand for it. I hope he was worth the risk you took."

"What is it really that angers you and Yuan-sensei," Meilin asked. "The fact that I didn't get permission, or the fact that I left for my former sensei and his pupil?"

"The fact that you have always been more trouble than you're worth," Chon replied heatedly. He finished his stretches, and glared at her. "And now I get to embarrass you in front of the people important to you." Both turned towards Madame Yuan as she yelled out something in Chinese, and then faced each other once again.

_"Give me strength, Sensei,"_ Meilin thought inwardly, stealing a glance towards Dr. O. As Madame Yuan yelled out in Chinese once again, Meilin's attention immediately went to Chon. He gave a short yell, and then kicked out with his leg. Meilin blocked the blow, and Chon pressed on, kicking faster and stronger. He faked a high kick, and when she went to block, he changed the direction of him momentum, catching her in the stomach.

"Not good enough, as I suspected," he taunted. He did a roundhouse kick, and she ducked, crouching down and sweeping his feet. He fell to the ground and she twisted around, bringing the heel of her foot dead center into his chest. He gasped for air, and quickly flipped back up onto his feet.

_"That's right, Meilin,"_ Wufei thought, as he and the others watched the fight. _"Just like we were taught."_ He watched as the fight resumed, clenching his jaw every time Chon managed to land a punch or kick on Meilin.

"Meilin can't take much more of this," Duo stated after several minutes. "She's moving more sluggishly. She's just not strong enough."

"In this case, strength isn't a factor," Master O commented. "It's skill, and she has more than Siu Chon." Suddenly, they heard Meilin cry out, and they turned back towards the fight, only to see Chon's knee in her stomach. He stepped back away from her, and she fell to the ground on her knees. She slumped forward, resting her forehead on the ground, and breathing hard. As Chon advanced towards her, Madame Yuan called out for him to stop.

"Do you yield, Ling Meilin," she asked. Everyone waited in anticipation as Meilin lay still on the ground. Her breathing evened, and to their amazement, she slowly stood back to her feet.

"I do not," she wheezed out. Chon frowned as she took up an offensive stance, and then smirked as he took up a defensive one. _"You will not defeat me, Chon,"_ Meilin stated quietly in Chinese, so that only he could hear her. _"Not in front of my true Sensei. Not in front of Wufei."_

"We shall see," he replied. Meilin jumped up into the air, bringing her leg down in an axe kick. Chon sidestepped the attack, and as she landed back on the ground, he jumped over the leg she tried to sweep him with. In the same motion, he raised his leg, and dropped the heel of his foot into her ankle of the sweeping leg. She cried out in pain, and rolled away from him.

"Damn you, Chon," she yelled, glaring at him as she stood. She slowly rotated her injured ankle, and gingerly applied pressure to it as she put her weight on it. Satisfied she could handle her injury, she took up a defensive stance, watching Chon carefully. He ran towards her, swinging with a right hook. She ducked underneath the punch, and drove her elbow into his stomach. As he hunched forward, she drove her palm into his nose, bloodying it.

"Way to go, Meilin," she heard Duo cheer from the side. She smiled slightly, and as Chon reeled back from the blow to his face, she delivered a series of quick jabs to his torso. As she drew her hand back to punch him once again, he grabbed her arm, twisting it around and holding it behind her. He tightened his hold, and she screamed.

"Make one move that I don't like, and I break your arm," he stated, rasping into her ear.

_"He's tired,"_ Meilin thought with an inward smile, wincing from the dull pain in her arm. Bending her knees slightly, she brought her leg straight up into a vertical line, kicking Chon in his face. As soon as his grip loosened, she stumbled forward, realizing that she, too, was tired. _"Come on, Meilin,"_ she coached herself. _"You've almost got him."_ Shifting her weight to one side, she brought her leg up, delivering sharp, quick kicks to the injured side Chon favored. As she brought her leg up for a high kick, Chon grabbed her ankle, twisting it roughly. She fell to the ground, trying to twist out of his grasp.

"Meilin," Quatre exclaimed as she cried out for what seemed, to him, like the hundredth time. He turned to the scientist, a worried look on his face. "You've got to stop this now, Dr. O!"

"No," Heero stated, surprising the blonde. "She can handle this. She almost has Chon beaten. Look." Quatre turned back to the fight just as Meilin delivered a kick to Chon's chest with her free leg, knocking him off balance. As he fell to the ground, Madame Yuan stood up.

"That is enough," she stated. "Siu Chon, you have lost." Chon stood slowly, grasping his injured side.

"I can go on, Yuan-sensei," he argued, although obviously he could not.

"No, you have lost," Madame Yuan stated. "Ling Meilin is the victor." A growl caught in his throat, and with a newfound strength he ran towards Meilin, enraged. He grabbed at her, and as he did so, she moved out of the way. Grabbing his arm and using all the strength she could muster, she flipped him over onto his back, and was on top of him immediately. She straddled his chest, pinning his arms down with her knees.

"Meilin, that's enough," Dr. O stated as Meilin grabbed a fistful of Chon's shirt.

"Wait a minute, Master O," Wufei protested. He and the scientist looked to see what she would do next.

"You have lost Siu Chon, and you have brought dishonor to yourself with your last actions against me," Meilin stated, tearing the kanji patch with the clan name from his suit jacket. "I will not fight against the weak." She stood up then, and bowed to him before throwing the patch back onto his chest. As she limped away, he rested his head against the floor and closed his eyes.

_"You did well, Meilin,"_ Madame Yuan spoke in Chinese, causing the girl to stop. _"And you have done a great act, showing compassion for your opponent. You have truly earned back your honor and your place with this clan, should you choose to come back to us."_ She turned to Suhao and Aili, giving them instructions. The two girls went to Chon and helped him up, supporting him. As they walked past Meilin, they smiled in her direction.

"Congratulations, Meilin," Suhao spoke quietly. "I knew you could do it."

"Chon now bears the dishonor of this clan; you did well," Aili added, before the two continued towards Madame Yuan. Meilin turned and watched as they left the room, and as soon as they were gone, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. The five pilots and scientist were at her side immediately.

"You made me proud today, Meilin," Dr. O stated with a smile.

"Thank you, Sensei," she grimaced, returning his smile with a weaker one.

"You're one tough chick, you know," Duo commented. "You and Wu-man make a dangerous pair; what, with him and his katana and you with your martial arts. Huh, remind me not to mess with you when you're in a bad mood."

"Thanks, Duo," she replied. She began to stand, and as she got up, she gasped as pain throbbed in her ankle. She lost her balance, however Master O supported her. _"Damn that Chon,"_ she thought inwardly. _"He sprained my ankle!"_

"Are you okay, Meilin," Quatre asked, noticing the pained look on her face.

"I will be as soon as I get some rest," she stated weakly as her vision blurred slightly. Her head drooped against Dr. O's chest, and she turned her head slightly at the sound of Wufei's voice.

"We should get her to a room, Sensei," he stated. She smiled weakly at him, and the proud look on his face was the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nearly a week had passed since the incident on the L5 cluster. The pilots, Meilin, and even Dr. O returned to earth, and went back to the Dorlian-Peacecraft estate. Relena greeted them when they returned, and needless to say, she was a little confused by the presence of the extra guests. Dr. O sat everyone down, and explained what he had planned when Wufei came to him. After all explanations had been made, Relena accidentally let it slip that Heero had punched Meilin. Wufei and Heero got into an argument, and it had almost turned physical until Meilin stepped in, saying she brought it on herself because of what she had said. Dr. O left for L5 the following day, extending an invitation to both Wufei and Meilin; saying they always had a place there. The seven teenagers, mostly the pilots, spent the remainder of the week sorting out how they really did feel towards each other ...

"Are you sure you have to leave," Relena asked, watching as Wufei checked the restraints on his Gundam one last time. Meilin leaned against the truck, and smiled.

"I don't think you're going to change his mind, Relena," she stated. Wufei jumped down from the back of the truck, closing the doors behind him.

"Are you sure you want to leave as well, Meilin," Relena asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm not returning to my clan any time soon, and I feel as if my place is with Wufei and my sensei. I will miss you all, though." She exchanged hugs with Relena and the other pilots, who stood near the truck. When she got to Duo, he picked her up in a bear hug. "I'll miss you most of all, Duo," she said with a laugh as he put her back down.

"Are you sure you want me to take your Gundams back with me," Wufei asked. "It's not too late; they're still at the shuttle."

"Our Gundams don't belong here, in the Sanq Kingdom," Heero stated. "They would be better off on the L5 cluster."

"We probably should have just left them there in the first place, instead of bringing them back to earth," Quatre added.

"Are the rest of you staying here," Meilin asked suddenly. "We will keep in touch?"

"I think we'll all just stay here for a while," Trowa said thoughtfully. "For the time being, at least."

"We'll probably end up going our separate ways eventually," Duo added as Meilin climbed into the truck, followed by Wufei.

"It's settled then," Wufei said, looking out from the driver's side and starting the truck. "We'll see you around."

"Duo," Meilin exclaimed, leaning over Wufei. "Before you guys do decide to go your own way, make sure to let us know. We'll get together again and go to Paintball Palace." Duo smiled.

"Another game of hunt-and-destroy, eh," he asked. "Count me in!" Meilin flashed him a smile, and waved to everyone before she disappeared back into the truck. Wufei waved as well, and then pulled off.

"Hunt-and-destroy," Wufei asked Meilin, a confused look on his face. "What were you guys talking about?"

"You'll see, Wufei," she replied, buckling her seat belt. "You'll see."

__

Fin.

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Please leave your reviews, readers! Let me know what you thought. I'll be working on my SM/DBZ crossover _Whatever It Takes_ **exclusively now, up until it's almost finished. So if you've been reading that, expect another part soon!**


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